Piano Lessons
by Zoom and Skype in Chicago and worldwide
A Piano Teacher for Adults
Maybe you’re a beginner who has never read a note of music. Or maybe you’re returning to piano lessons now that you have time in your life to pursue your passions. Either way, you need a teacher who understands both the piano and people.
I have taught students at every stage of their piano journey. I’ve taught at community centers and at European music festivals. I’ve taught in prisons and in elegant townhouses. I teach private clients, and I teach students at Lake Forest College and in Carthage College‘s Xinghai Conservatory graduate program. For every student, I combine the insight of an award-winning performer with kind, supportive mentorship.
Common-Sense Teaching
I’m a very straightforward teacher. Everything I teach is based on how the piano works and how your hands and arms and body work with the piano. And it’s important to me that you understand the why of everything I teach. So when you work with me, I’ll give you simple, clear reasons for every technique I show you and for every practice method I recommend. You can see a little bit of my style (hammed up for the cameras of course) in this video from my web series Piano Unlocked.
After a 10+ year hiatus away from the piano, I decided it was time to rediscover it. I’ve been taking piano lessons from Myron for 4+ years after a recommendation from a friend. From my first lesson, Myron has helped me to improve at every aspect of the piano, from the basics of hand and finger positioning, to improving my technical skills, musicality, and speed. Myron is patient and has given me the space to gain confidence. He offers effective practice techniques to help tackle tricky passages. Myron has been great to learn from, the best piano teacher I’ve had.
My Background
I’ve been playing the piano since I was five and began studying seriously when I was 13. I was no child prodigy, but I was lucky—I had a teacher who didn’t just help me play better; he taught me how to play better. And I teach exactly the same skills I use when I’m practicing the piano.
That doesn’t mean you have to want to become a concert pianist to learn from me. What I teach works just as well for beginners and casual music-lovers as for amateur performers and professionals. (If the history of piano teaching interests you: Theodor Leschetizky developed the style of teaching I use, and he taught some of the greatest pianists of the late 19th and early 20th century!)
I will help you understand the building blocks of music so that practicing is mentally exciting. And I will teach you the technique of playing piano so that practicing and performing is physically stress-free.
Piano Lessons Online OR IN PERSON
I teach both in person (for vaccinated clients who are comfortable working in person) and online. For online lessons, I use Zoom and Skype. You don’t need any special equipment to work with me online; most of my students use their smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Payment is easily done through Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal.
When I moved from Boston to Chicago in 2007, I wanted a professional performance artist as a piano teacher. I was impressed by Myron’s technical prowess, his ease in playing, and his talent for phrasing and tone. I have a fondness for Rachmaninoff and Scriabin and Myron helped me navigate these difficult pieces. We also worked on sonatas by Mozart and his knowledge of this style was invaluable. Obviously I am a huge fan and cannot praise him enough for his guidance over the years. In early March I moved to California and I will continue my lessons via Skype. He is that good!