I’ve been teaching piano lessons in Portland for quite some time. My students provide me with endless opportunities to learn more about teaching every day. I love watching students progress week to week, listen to their excitement about making a breakthrough, or finding out what new music has inspired them. It’s an honor to work with all these great adult and children musicians, and I appreciate the significant efforts they have made to peruse the craft of making music happen. Here’s a photo video of them at the studio.
Tag Archives: students
Stop Motion Animation Flower Combining Keyboard and Camera
A Stop Motion Animation called Flower. I created this video to show my piano students how to combine a video with music. Creating Stop Motion Animations and Time Lapse Videos are great fun, and an excellent way to give students a practical avenue for their creativity. I like to do projects with students, so they can learn to think for themselves and enjoy the satisfaction of completing something they have personally made. A music keyboard and a camera can inspire a world of adventure.
Project Videos
• Beginners Always Welcome
• Very Patient Teacher
• Children & Adults – All Ages
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Piano Lessons & Keyboard Lessons
Portland, Oregon
YouTube Videos of my students playing piano, time lapse and stop motion student video projects.
Video – Arlo Guthrie Sings and Plays Piano – Live Performance
Arlo Guthrie plays piano and sings live in this video of him performing “City of New Orleans”. “City of New Orleans” was composed by Steve Goodman and is a nostalgic story about a train route from Chicago to New Orleans. Arlo first recorded the song in 1972 and it has been widely associated with him ever since. In 2005, Arlo travelled on that train to arrive in New Orleans to raise money for musicians after the devastating Katrina Hurricane.
Arlo Guthrie was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1947. His father, Woodie Guthrie was famous for writing and singing social protest songs, and Arlo has kept that tradition and composed and recorded many. Arlo Guthrie, in addition to being a singer, composer, and musician, has also done some acting. He is most recognized from his portrayal of himself in the film “Alice’s Restaurant”, named after the hit song he wrote. Arlo Guthrie is an American legend and has contributed so much to the Folk music genre of America.
When some of my students are taking their keyboard lessons and piano lessons, the subject of how to play piano while singing, often comes up. Playing while you sing requires a different technique than playing solo. Arlo gives a wonderful example of how easy it can look in this flawless performance.
Some Albums by Arlo Guthrie
Together In Concert (1975), with Pete Seeger
Amigo (1976)
The Best of Arlo Guthrie (1977)
One Night (1978)
Outlasting the Blues (1979)
Power Of Love (1981)
Precious Friend (1982)
Someday (1986)
Video – Great Piano Jazz Solo on Keyboard – Terrific Improvisation Style
This is a wonderful jazz piano solo played on a keyboard. It’s a complicated and advanced example of what hard work can accomplish. The piano player shows us how the jazz art form combines exemplary playing skill with the ability to create music on the spot.
Here in Portland, at my studio, my piano lessons and keyboard lessons students learn a number of different piano skills. For some, one of those is jazz piano. Playing to play jazz piano can begin with a basic introduction to the genre. We often begin with a round of blues improvisation to get students started with the technique of developing improvisational skills. Developing a students ear to be able to play jazz is very important, and there are a number of ways to accomplish this. Whether students play at home on a piano or a keyboard, the music and teaching method is the same.
Jazz is probably the most American style of music of all. It’s a method of playing any song by developing new voicings for the chords, and variations of the melodies. Jazz can make any kind of music exciting and fresh to listen to.