Stephen D.

Hi, my name is Stephen, and I’ve been playing piano and drums/percussion since I was 13. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of Alabama, where my principal instrument was Percussion, and my secondary was Piano. I went on to earn a Master of Music in Percussion from Indiana University, with a Cognate in Jazz Studies. I played Percussion professionally for 10 years in symphony orchestras Savannah, Charleston, Atlanta Pops, and others. I’ve played a lot of piano / keyboards over the years as well…rock, popular, jazz, and classical — in restaurants, bars, in church, at corporate events, outdoor festivals, and at private parties. I just love to play., and I’ve also taught many students along the way. I teach Piano at my house in Hiram, GA. I’d describe my teaching style as informative and relaxed. I’m very patient with all ages. I’ve taught students from 7 to 70. Most of my students are beginner to intermediate. My main focus in teaching is popular and jazz music, and helping you learn to play songs quickly. I can also get you started in classical music. With pop and jazz, I use a method similar to Scott Houston “The Piano Guy”, where you learn to play melody with your right hand and chords with your left. But with me, that’s just a starting point. If you’d like, I can also teach you about spread voicings, block chords, substitutions, and lots of other cool stuff! I have a very strong background in music theory scales, chords, rhythm, song form, etc., and I make it fun to learn. When you know what you’re playing, it’s a lot easier to learn a piece, and it’s more fun to play! I look forward to meeting you and starting / continuing with you on your musical journey.