Pianist/Singer/Entertainer Jonathan L. Segal

PIANO LESSONS
JAZZ, POP/ROCK, CLASSICAL, BROADWAY, BLUES

EAR TRAINING, SIGHT READING, IMPROVISATION, LISTENING, THEORY, TECHNIQUE, REPERTOIRE

(Scroll down for testimonials)

WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN TO PLAY PIANO?

I’ve been playing all my life, so my perspective on this is different from most people. Nevertheless, I’ll put it in a nutshell by quoting Van Cliburn, the legendary American Pianist: “The ancient curriculum was gymnastics, mathematics, and music. The gymnastics was to develop the body for the trip through life. The mathematics was to show you how to get from point A to point B. But music was what gave you the reason why you were taking the journey at all.”

I’ve been teaching piano privately for many years. I teach both adults and children.
My students have fit into many categories:
Total beginner children
Children who were not happy with their previous teachers
Total beginner adults
Adults who are convinced that they’re tone-deaf and not musical
(I enjoy proving them wrong)
Adults who studied earlier in life and would like to start again
Singers who would like to learn to accompany themselves
Songwriters and music producers who want to play better in order to express their musical ideas more thoroughly
Piano teachers who would like to develop their improvisational skills
Voice teachers who would like to better accompany their students
Musicians who play another instrument, but would like to master the piano.

Lessons are tailored to the student’s level and area of interest.

THE ART OF TEACHING PIANO

I like to give my piano students a total musical experience; by that I mean a course of study that includes:
Ear Training
Sight Reading
Improvisation
Listening
Theory
Technique
Repertoire

If we liken learning music to learning a foreign language, we might say that Ear Training is like trying to hear the language and understand the words. Sight Reading is like knowing how to fluidly read the written words of the language. Improvisation would be the ability to expound freely in that language whether in conversation or monologue. Music is a language, with many different dialects. We study many of those, and find that they’re usually related to each other in some way.
Listening is closely related to ear training, and involves listening to recordings to understand and identify what is being heard. Theory is the study of the underlying structures in music and should always be useful and applicable to playing. Technique is the ability to physically be in command of the piano and not have it be in command of you. Repertoire is the body of songs and pieces that the pianist learns.

IMPROVISATION
I have noticed over the years that children are often much more relaxed about improvising than adults. For some adults, the idea of letting go and creating something new on the spot is like diving head first for the first time into ice cold water. Once they find that they can create for themselves however, they love it. It’s curious that improvisation is such a mystery in the West outside of Jazz and Rock’n’Roll circles, because it once existed in what we now call “Classical” music. Bach, Mozart and Liszt all had great improvisational skills, and their improvisations often became written compositions. Today most classical musicians are not taught these skills, yet Jazz musicians improvise freely as a way of life. I teach students the underlying structures that are used in improvisation. Once you know what they are and can also hear them in others’ music, it’s not so hard to do.

Materials
Materials vary according to the student’s level and area of interest. However, more often than not materials might consist of some of the following:

A book of music manuscript paper
in which the student and I may write down musical examples and the assignment for the week.
A blank cassette tape or a digital recorder.
on which I may record either my performance of a piece in question or a recording that I want the student to get familiar with.
A book of pieces for very young students, appropriate to their level.
A fake book for students who are learning jazz. This is a large book containing hundreds of lead sheets (outlines) of songs.
A classical anthology to develop technique, repertoire and good reading skills.
A book of scales and exercises to develop good technique.
Beyond that, we may use sheet music, itunes, classical portfolios, or anything else that will get the student to where he or she wants to be musically.

Jonathan L. Segal has been teaching piano for since 1973. He has also taught music to gifted children in both public and private New York schools.
Jonathan is an Emmy-Award nominated composer who has written over one thousand compositions for television. As a pianist he has worked with a wide variety of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Berry, Nicolette Larsen, Denis Leary and Oscar Brand. He has worked in TV, film, theater and records in many capacities including pianist, singer, composer, actor, and music-director. He also entertains as a Jazz pianist and singer at New York area corporate and private social events.

TESTIMONIALS

"Jonathan has taught piano to three of my four children and to
impossible-to-teach-anything-at-all-to me. Not only do I now play
Beethoven better than Melvin, the Shitzu down the block, in spite of my
incapacity to practice more than once a month, but my children have
developed both a competency at the piano and a love for and
comprehension of music that I can only envy. Jonathan is a pleasure to
be around, my children (and I) adore him, he makes the learning fun and
exciting, and I have watched my children go on to be life-long music
lovers largely because of his talents as a teacher. It's hard to
imagine doing better than Jonathan."
Abby D.

"Is there nothing he can't do?! I have put Jonathan to the test! He is extremely well-rounded as a teacher and I have single-handedly tested many of his musical skills. In our lessons, we have dealt with everything from picking out the piano accompaniment off of a recording that i wanted to play myself, reading and playing classical pieces, interpreting lead sheets; pop songbooks and written-out jazz arrangements. He even has lent an ear to my own original songs. Even when we work on the same piece week-to-week, each lesson is never the same.
As virtuosic as Jonathan is, i have never felt intimidated. He always manages to make piano more accessible than just a musical discipline. He is also extremely patient to even the most resistant student, as I have not been a quick learner when it comes to learning jazz improv."
Margaux R.

"Jonathan is the perfect teacher for young and old alike. His personality and sense of humor coupled with his passion for his art combine to orchestrate the perfect symphony of learning, creativity and fun!"
Tracy H.

"Our son has been taking piano lessons with Jonathan for several years. Out of all the teachers our son has had, Jonathan is far and away his favorite. Lessons mix technique, theory, scales, improvisation and songs; genres include classical, jazz, rock, pop and more. Jonathan can play anything and more than that, can teach anything! Jonathan respects his students and teaches to their ability—lessons are fun and fast moving, yet demanding. For more advanced students, Jonathan’s performance background is a bonus--he has helped our son prepare for concerts at Madison Square Garden and The Bitter End. Jonathan has been with us every step of the way and we will no doubt be with him every step of our son’s musical career. I would whole-heartedly recommend Jonathan to students of all levels."
Bruce L.

"Taking lessons with Jonathan has been a blast. While I'm not a "new" person I'm a pretty new player and the variety of music I've learned has kept it interesting and challenging. We've worked on classical pieces, Beatles, bluegrass and jazz and blues. He's taught me a lot of theory as well as practical technique. And how to practice. The past few years have changed the way I listen to music."
Mark S.

"All 3 of my children have learnt to play the piano with Jonathan. Each grew musically because Jonathan adapted each lesson to their individual needs. They can all play a variety of styles of music and have even been encouraged to compose their own. Piano skills are subtley covered and supported without my children dreading scales and practising."
Susanna L.

"Our two daughters began studying with Jonathan over five years ago when they were just 5 and 7 years old, respectively. They now play quite beautifully and we cannot imagine our home without our piano. They hate to practice, of course, but they can't seem to walk past the piano without giving it a play. Jonathan has been an enthusiastic and engaging teacher who goes out of his way to tailor his lessons to the needs of the kids, to keep them interested and also to have fun. By exposing the girls to an array of musical genres, from Pop to Classical to Jazz to American Standards, our girls have not only learned how to play, but are developing an appreciation for all types of music. We look forward to continuing their musical education with Jonathan!"
Victoria M.

"The most wonderful thing about Jonathan Segal, besides incredible musicality, his kindness, and his uncanny ability to pun, is the way he "gets" my kid. He tailors his lessons specifically to fit my son's interests and talents and quirks, he knows how to inspire him, make music fun for him, when to push him forward and when to let him take the lead. I couldn't imagine a better piano teacher for my, or anyone's child."
Cindy K.

"Jonathan is not only a fabulous teacher who has helped my son learn to read and play music but also has the ability to reach the children and understand their different learning styles. He has instilled a love for learning music in my child. They connect on this musical level and my son looks forward to his lesson each week where he is able to express his musical (and sometimes comical) side with Jonathan."
Lauren S.