Martin S.

Hi, my name is Martin, and I am a piano player from Riverview, FL. I have been a musician since age 10, learning piano, drum-set, and concert percussion, and earned a Minor in Music during my studies at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. My musical influences include many of the greats of the classical pianist traditions, such as Mozart, Schubert and Gershwin, and, being a film nerd, I'm also a great lover of the work of film composers such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Bernard Herrmann, and of course the great songwriters like the Sherman Brothers and Alan Menken. My teaching style can best be described as "theory through performance". Much in the vein of my favorite music teachers, I am a big believer in learning to understand the "science" of the music we like to play and how we play it. I prioritize a holistic approach to learning an instrument to its fullest, learning not only how to play a certain piece or song, but how to get a proper “feeling” for the piano, how to read sheet music, identify chords and progressions, and learn the concepts of melody, harmony, accompaniment, and texture. So that a student has a full grasp and ability to sit down and play anything with confidence, whether on a page or in their mind. In my lessons, depending on level, you can expect to learn the fundamentals of piano playing through a wide variety of exercises, including; -hand exercises -sheet music reading/notation assignments -scales and arpeggios -sight-reading -Piece performance and analysis I’m endlessly compelled by the pursuit of musical knowledge, and if you are too, I hope I can help you on your path.