Lessons > Lesson Styles
Piano Lesson Styles
Teaching Classical, Jazz, Accompaniment and more
While some music schools follow a department store model by offering lessons on everything from Dance to DJ, at the Ed Mascari Piano Studio we focus on providing the very best private piano instruction available anywhere.
You're interested in learning to play the piano and our focus is teaching the piano. We are also dedicated to teaching you the particular style, or styles, of piano playing that interest you. While playing the piano is fun - a lot of fun - at the Ed Mascari Piano Studio, we take our motto learn to play the music you love very seriously.
Drawing on our faculty of five outstanding piano teachers with diverse backgrounds, we can match you with a teacher who will be an expert in playing and teaching the kind of music that you really want to play. From classical piano to jazz, blues, pop, church music and everything in between we have outstanding teachers in every imaginable style of piano playing.
Here are just a few specific examples.
Jazz Piano
Swing, ragtime, bebop, cool, on and on and on. Jazz piano covers such a wide range of styles it's impossible to list them all. What is possible, and is a lifetime of fun, is to learn to play the piano in your favorite jazz style.
Ed Mascari is an outstanding jazz pianist with over 30 years performance experience, concentrating on playing the songs from the American Songbook. Ed has performed as a soloist and with many other jazz artists including Rebecca Parris and John Dougherty.
As evidence of his dedication to teaching jazz piano and the wonderful, diverse compositions that make up the American Songbook, Ed has written hundreds of blog posts on the subject over the last four yearsin his Conversation's at the Piano music education blog. He has also recorded many of the pieces he writes about.
Ed has inspired hundreds of students to learn to play jazz piano including many adults taking up the piano for the first time. He excels at teaching jazz piano to all levels of students, beginning, intermediate and advanced.
Faculty members Robin Cho and Sean Yoshioka also have extensive background in jazz performance and teaching.
Ready to learn to play Jazz Piano from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
Classical Piano
Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and, of course, Chopin. These are all names that come to mind when you think "classical piano". These musicians, and their contemporaries, composed some of the most beautiful piano music of all time. At the Ed Mascari Piano Studio we have just the teachers you are looking for to help you master the work of your favorite classical composers.
Faculty member Jean Pulsifer takes her classical piano playing very seriously. She has studied at the New England Conservatory, performing piano recitals of her own, along with performing in master classes and group recitals.
Faculty members Erika Stalcup and Jean Breidenbach also have extensive background in classical performance and teaching.
Ready to learn to play Classical Piano from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
Playing Piano from a Fake Book
If you've played the piano, or even seen some popular piano sheet music, you've seen those letters above the notes in the music: C, A7, bmin7, etc. These are chord symbols and they represent an exhilarating freedom from being bound by the usual left hand accompaniment that as a pianist you have been playing for years.
Playing the piano from a fake book opens up a whole new world of piano playing that many older children and adult piano students find especially fun and rewarding. Faculty members Erika Stalcup, Robin Cho and Sean Yoshioka are all well qualified to teach you how you can have fun playing the piano from a fake book.
Owner of the Ed Mascari Piano studio, Mr. Ed Mascari, not only teaches students how to play the piano from a fake book, but is also literally writing the book on this style of piano playing. His forthcoming book Piano Secrets for Grownups and Teenagers: Learn to Play Show Tunes and Standards Step By Step from a Fake Book will allow students from all over the world to experience the fun of playing the piano using a fake book.
Mr. Mascari teaches private lessons himself at both our Natick MA and Hudson MA piano studio locations. He has just a few openings left for students who are interested in learning how to enjoy a new found freedom in their piano playing by playing the piano from a fake book.
Ready to experience the joy of Playing the Piano from a Fake Book from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
High School and Middle School Jazz Band Piano Playing
For over 30 years high school and middle school age piano students have brought their school jazz band music to their piano lessons here at the Ed Mascari Piano Studio. The school jazz band provides piano students with a great way to participate in their school instrumental music program.
Sometimes these pieces consist of just lead sheets and sometimes they are full two hand piano arrangements. In either case faculty members Erika Stalcup, Robin Cho, Sean Yoshioka and of course, Mr. Mascari are all very well qualified and eager to help students with their school jazz band music.
Are you a high school or middle school age piano student who would like some help with your School Jazz Band Piano Playing? Contact us today.
Playing Video Game Music on the Piano
Piano students who are also video game enthusiasts, can now acquire sheet much from many of their favorite video games. Faculty member Sean Yoshioka is an expert in both teaching and composing video game music. Several of him compositions have been featured in video games.
Several of Erika Stalcup's students are also learning to play some of their favorite video game music on the piano. This is not only fun for students but can also allow students to increase their knowledge of music theory in the way that they will appreciate. Students will also discover other styles of piano playing that may interest them as well as they play pieces from many different types of games.
Ready to try playing your favorite Video Game Music on the Piano from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
Playing Hymns and Church Music on the Piano
Music is an important part of most religious ceremonies. Particularly the singing of hymns during a religious service. Being able to interpret and perform hymns and other church music effectively on the piano and organ is another musical skill that is in high demand.
Faculty member Erika Stalcup has composed several pieces of church music, including psalm responses and several anthems. She recently designed worship services for two national conferences, including the annual meeting of the National Council of Churches. She is well versed in planning and performing a musical liturgy and can help students who are interested in performing in church to do so effectively.
Ed Mascari, Jean Breidenbach and Jean Pulsifer are also church music directors, experienced at helping students learn to play hymns and other church music on the piano.
Ready to learn piano Hymns and Church Music from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
Piano Accompaniment
Accompanying a chorus, choir, instrumental soloist or any musician on the piano is an art in itself. Being an outstanding accompanist, while remaining in the background is a skill that must be developed over time. At the Ed Mascari Piano Studio we can help you become an excellent piano accompanist, able to expertly accompany both soloists and musical ensembles.
Faculty member Robin Cho is an outstanding piano accompanist. She is also able to effectively teach that skill to all intermediate and advanced piano students.
Robin plays as a rehearsal and performance piano accompanist for the top dance companies in Boston, including the Boston Ballet. She is also a choral accompanist for the Brookline Public Schools and enjoys serving as the piano accompanist for many school productions throughout Massachusetts.
Jean Breidenbach, Jean Pulsifer and Ed Mascari, all church organists, are also skilled at accompanying choirs/soloists and teaching the art of accompaniment on the piano.
Ready to learn to be an effective Piano Accompanist from one of our experienced teachers? Contact us today.
Piano Lessons for Younger Students
Teaching younger piano students requires a different approach to teaching the piano. Often students benefit from engaging in some physical activity to reinforce and help focus their learning. Echo clapping is a time honored method for teaching the fundamentals of rhythm to younger music students for example. Effectively teaching younger students the piano also requires the teacher to limit the amount of time spent on any one activity (keep things moving).
Ed Mascari Piano Studio faculty members Erika Stalcup, Robin Cho and Sean Yoshiokaspecialize in teaching young piano students, as young as 5 years of age. Both Robin and Sean have the experience necessary to adjust their teaching style to benefit younger piano students and enjoy seeing these students grow and have fun as they begin to learn to play the piano.
Are you a parent with a 5, 6 or 7 year old son or daughter who has expressed a desire to play the piano? Contact us today.
These are just some of the many styles of piano learning that we are able to offer at the Ed Mascari Piano Studio.
Ready to join the fun? To see your dream of being able to play the piano come true?
Contact us today for more information and to get starting in learning to play the music you love.