From Liz D.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
David is an impeccable instructor! He is scientific in what and how he teaches, takes great care with his students, is extremely knowledgeable, professional, inspiring, prompt, responsive, and has a wonderful demeanor conducive to learning.
I have played and received instruction on other instruments (recently and throughout the years), but I am a beginning student ( piano mixed with some voice) with David. He has taught me critical skills for efficient and effective learning and practice (to me, this alone is HUGE), which are rooted in his extensive research and experience. I have learned to methodically build my ability to play a piece of music (the concept of sets, building sets, comprehensive execution on sets, interleaving, spaced repetition, to leverage inspiration and energy levels to make progress), to strictly analyze my music and playing, to journal my practice, and to approach my music in an acutely aware/focused/structured fashion geared towards achieving results. In vocal training I have applied these skills as well, and I have also learned additional methods to build my abilities (breathing, bracing, projection, to work through lyrics with a variety of tactics, how to deconstruct and then reconstruct something seemingly too complex for me).
Each lesson of mine adheres to the structure of theory, scales, and playing of pieces (both small pieces, and short-term and long-term goal pieces) that I have prepared for the week; this is just the combination for me. All time is spent wisely; and as each lessons plays out, David is acutely focused, incorporating his methodologies all along the way, testing my understanding, discussing practice and performance (how-to’s, and including mental practice, etc.), discussing health, providing reasoning for everything that we do, encouraging goal-setting (pieces that inspire including lofty ones, 40-piece challenge to encourage reading and exposure to new pieces), and encouraging me to ask any questions that I may have. I greatly appreciate that in lessons I am significantly challenged to think and work quickly (so as to improve my ability to play quickly). And should a question come up outside of lessons , David is very quick to respond and always generously provides extensive information.
In addition to the opportunities to play pieces cold at each lesson, David offers other invaluable performance opportunities in the form of studio classes (performance plus critique), recitals at a variety of venues, and the chance to come with him to play the Sing For Hope pianos . These also serve as wonderful opportunities for inspiration and exposure to pieces that one might not have heard of before. I personally walked away with pieces new to me and that have inspired me to keep striving to achieve!
I can say undoubtedly that David and his comprehensive methodologies have given me the tools to correct where I have gone wrong in the past and to quickly make progress which I otherwise would not have been able to. He provides the instruction and guidance of which I had always hoped to find, and I greatly recommend him to anyone no matter the age or the range of experience! He will make sure you know how to efficiently and effectively learn, practice, master, and perform. Nothing is left out, you just have to execute! :)
