Introduction: My work stands out from other piano teachers because I focus on a specific niche - primarily gearing my piano lessons for teenagers and adults who want to learn to play jazz, blues, pop, new age, and show tune music.
Most of my students are teenage boys and are wanting to take their music to the next level by learning jazz, improvisation, arranging, composing, orchestrating, how to use Finale, how to self publish the music they compose, and how to record and distribute/sell their music through iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, and all other online music stores.
I teach traditional music theory and musicianship in a non-traditional way - principally using the music books I have written and self published. I also work with many piano teachers helping them learn more about jazz, improvisation, arranging, and composing.
I teach piano lessons to teenagers, music students in college and at the university, adults, and piano teachers who are learning how to arrange, improvise, and compose music of their own.
These are some of the skills taught to my piano students in my studio:
Weekly and Monthly Piano lessons (primarily focused on teaching teenagers - ages 12 and up, and adults)
Music Theory - learn chords, scales, etc., and how to use them
Improvisation - change any style/key signature, etc.
Composition - learn to compose music of your own
Jazz, blues, new age music, pop music, show tunes, video game music, and more
How to Play/Read Fake Books
Hymn Arranging - as well as working on The Hymn Challenge™
How to Play by Ear
How to use Finale to notate/create your own music
How to use Logic Pro to create "minus tracks" and record your music
How to use Final Cut to create your own music videos or music tutorials
Music Publishing (self publish your own music - sell your music on your website, iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, etc.)
Music Marketing (branding your name, image, and creating your own music niche in the musical world)
Completing the Music Motivation® Mentorship Map
Completing the Music Motivation® Checklist™ (From my book Essential Piano Exercises™)
Complete the "Who Are You" - Getting to know yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, goals, dreams, hopes, fears, and potential! Workbook
Learn to do your very best in everything! Become the best you, you can be!
Additional skills taught:
Commitment, determination, focus, motivation, dedication, the ability to work hard on something, setting and reaching goals, creating a "Personal Life Map", completing the "Success Begins with Me" (personal development packet) and the "What is My Mission in Life" mission statement.
Description: Music Motivation® is dedicated to motivating music students of all ages with "Cool music that excites, entertains, and educates"™. The three main areas of focus for Music Motivation® are Theory Therapy™, Innovative Improvisation™, and Creative Composition™.
Mission: Our primary Music Motivation® goal: Create fun, original piano music that is cool, exciting, entertaining, and educational to help motivate and inspire piano students - especially during their teenage years. Click here to download all of the books I have written/composed as "sample downloads" - to try the music for yourself! Have fun with it! I had fun composing these piano solos and I hope you enjoy playing them!
Our Music Motivation® goal (for music educators): One of our primary goals at Music Motivation® is to help prepare the next generation of composers, arrangers, musicians, music teachers, and musicologists to use their music and their love of music to make a difference in their own lives, their community, and the world.
I love working with teenagers and adults. The following is what I feel my personal mission in life is and will be:
"My purpose and mission in life is to motivate myself and others through my music and writing, to help others find their purpose and mission in life, and to teach values that encourage everyone everywhere to do and be their best." - Jerald Simon
I enjoy teaching piano students how to apply music theory the fun. I refer to it as Piano FUNdamentals. When they know what they are doing and why they are doing it, then they can learn to improvise, arrange, and compose music of their own. I refer to myself as a Music Mentor. I hope to inspire piano students to not only play the piano, but set and achieve goals in all areas of life. I try to motivate and dream with the piano students to see if they can come up with life goals, a personal mission statement, list of great books to read, adventures to take, skills to learn, and much more. I have been known to get down and do pushups with teenage boys or go into the adjacent workout room and lift weights with them for a minute or two. We talk about the importance of doing reps - not just with weight lifting, but also in playing the piano. Life is so important and precious. I hope to inspire piano students to make beautiful music, learn to play anything they want to play, learn the theory, how to arrange, improvise, and compose music of their own and share their music with others. I hope I can teach piano students to strive to live life to the fullest and be and do their absolute best and continually strive to be better in everything they do!
Here are "My Personal PIANO-ATTITUDE EXPECTATIONS" (for myself and for my piano students):
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all! CAN’T is a FOUR Letter word - never say you can’t do something. You can do anything you put your mind to. Don’t be hard on yourself. Treat others with respect (especially your music mentor). Be positive and upbeat (smile, laugh, and have fun)! Bring out the best in others and in yourself! Play your instrument because you want to, not because your parents want you to and especially not because your music mentor wants you to.
Here is a message I wrote for piano students:
A brief message from Jerald to piano students and parents:
If you come to piano lessons each week and walk away only having learned about music notation, rhythm, and dots on a page, then I have failed as a music mentor. Life lessons are just as important, if not more important, than music lessons. I would rather have you learn more about goal setting and achieving, character, dedication, and personal improvement. To have you learn to love music, appreciate it, and play it is a wonderful byproduct you will have for the rest of your life - a talent that will enrich your life and the lives of others.
To become a better musician is wonderful and important, but to become a better person is more important.
As a music mentor, I want to mentor students to be the very best they can be. If you choose not to practice, you essentially choose not to improve. This is true in any area of life. Everyone has the same amount of time allotted to them. What you choose to do with your time, and where you spend your time, has little to do with your activities and more to do with the value attached to each activity.
I want students to enjoy music; to learn to be creative and understand how to express themselves musically, either by creating music of their own or interpreting the music of others by arranging and improvising well-known music. In addition, I encourage students to play sports, dance, sing, draw, read, and develop their talents. I want them to be more than musicians; I want them to learn to become well-rounded, complete individuals.
Above all, I'd love everyone to continually improve and do their best no matter what they choose to do. I encourage everyone to set goals, to dream big, and to be the best they can be in whatever they choose to do. Life is full of wonderful choices. Choose the best out of life and learn as much as you can from everyone everywhere. I prefer being called a Music Mentor™ because I want to mentor others and help them to live their dreams.
Your life is your musical symphony. Make it a masterpiece!
Jerald Simon
