In addition to my faculty positions at The Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, and Loyola University, I teach private composition, voice, piano, and theory/musicianship in the Baltimore/D.C. area, and anywhere online. My students range in age from 5 to 73 and come to me with varying experience levels and musical interests.
I work with students exploring all different styles of music including...
Western Classical
Electronic Sound Design
Musical Theater
Singer-Songwriter
Hip-Hop
EDM
Pop
Style is never a limiting factor to the students I work with. I love so many different types of music from Bach to Nine Inch Nails and many things in between.
My experience teaching at four academically and musically contrasting schools, and working with children and adults has required me to adapt materials and teaching style to a wide spectrum of learners. I am particularly adept at finding ways to guide students with varying experience levels and learning styles. I remain flexible in my approach without sacrificing intellectual or artistic standards, or the student's enjoyment of the musical experience.
I primarily teach virtual lessons, but can meet with students in my home in north Baltimore (just into the county). I would love to discuss private music lessons for you or your child. Please contact me and we'll talk about what you are hoping to get out of lessons and see if I can help you achieve your goals.
Lessons are fun! We have a great time exploring a variety of music and working through the techniques of performance.
Composition Lessons are as unique as the individual student. I organize lessons around the specific goals of each student, and their musical interests. We may spend the entire lesson working through a particular passage in a student's work. We will also explore repertoire that connects to your compositional ideas and goals. Depending on your goals and interests, we may also explore the capabilities of individual instruments, and incorporate the study of music theory as a way to gain further insight into other composer's styles, and to aid in the realization of your own musical ideas.
Voice Lessons are centered around the production of a healthy sound. Because the voice is a unique instrument that changes as we age, I recommend beginning voice lessons no earlier than 8 years old. Young voice students will focus on the essentials of pitch recognition, rhythm, breathing, and score reading, while singing songs written specifically for young singers. Teenage students focus on technique, breathing, producing healthy tone, score reading, and aural training. Adult voice lessons include focus on proper technique, breathing, producing healthy tone, score reading, aural training, discussion of vocal anatomy, and if appropriate singing in different languages.
Piano Lessons are designed to encourage the exploration of the entire instrument. Students are encouraged to experiment with sound, melody, harmony, and rhythm as a way to better understand the capabilities of the instrument and to engage in active music making. New-to-the-piano students begin with fundamentals, such as fingering, score reading, and technique, while intermediate and advanced students will work on scales, finger exercises, repertoire, and if desired performing and the composition of your own piano pieces.
References can be provided upon request.
Michael is a very thoughtful instructor and does an excellent job of helping students achieve their objectives within the context of their particular goals and the genre of the piece at hand. His compositional ideas are fresh across all genres and leave me feeling very satisfied with the progress of my pieces. Michael is a great listener, humble, and easy to get along with. – Taylor - 26, composition
Michael has proven to be a creative & patient instructor and we are thrilled with his ability to adapt the lessons to best fit our autistic son’s learning needs. Rather than simply focusing on learning to play scales and individual pieces, Michael is instilling a love of music through creative pattern exploration, composition, and technique. I am often impressed at Michael’s ability to shift his approach, mid-lesson, to meet our son’s needs in the moment and keep him engaged in a meaningful way. Michael is professional, responsive to our emails/texts, & flexible in scheduling and we look forward to working with him for years to come. – Jennifer - 8, piano
Michael is communicative and responsive to our goals. [Our daughter] feels positive about what she is learning. Michael has been willing to be flexible in lesson planning in response to [her] goal of doing better in school auditions for musicals. He is flexible with time/ locations to meet. He always responds to texts. We appreciate the work they are doing. – Beth - 13, voice