Tree is very professional and very attentive with my 2 daughters 6 & 13 year old and my 9 year old nephew, Tree is always on time and the kids are sad when pianolessons gets canceled, I would recommend him to anybody that’s looking for pianolesson, he’s a very great teacher!
Tree Palmedo Music
Pui M.
My 7 year old nephew started lesson with David for roughly a month now and he told me David is definitely a 5-star teacher. Before finding David on Thumbtack my nephew was learning else where for a year but the result wasn't satisfying and his interest for piano was somehow dampened. David was quick to access my nephew's skill and was able pinpointed the exact issue that had been bothering us. He did it all in the trial lesson. David is great with kids and is even a better teacher. In just 5 lessons (including the trial) , I already see my nephew enjoying piano more. He hums the pieces he just learned which had never happened with the previous teacher. We are so happy we found David on Thumbtack :)
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Fanni K.
My 11-year-old son and I started lessons with David a few weeks ago and it has been a great experience. My son is a beginner and I re-started piano, which I played for a few years as a kid. David is teaching us challenging and helpful practicing techniques and emphasizes working on developing musical details in our pieces. He is a great, versatile teacher who motivates his students well. I highly recommend him for both kids and adults.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Victor P.
Natalie, our piano teacher, is simply amazing! She teaches our 6-year-old daughter in our house once a week. She teaches with incredible patience and care, and her lessons keep our daughter motivated which can be challenging for a 6 year old kid. It’s been really cool to watch our daughter, who started with zero musical knowledge, start to learn how to read music and notes. She's still very much in the beginner stage but we can't wait to see how far Natalie can take her.
Natalie Berlin
Joey H.
David is a very patient, knowledgeable, positive, friendly, encouraging teacher with have high standard and a very talented, experienced, awe-inspiring pianist.
My 3 years old daughter (turning 4 soon) and I are both taking lessons from David for around a month now. We enjoyed his lesson so much that I increased my daughter’s hour from 1 to 2 hours a week. He’s been very patient and good with kids that my daughter enjoys and loves to play the piano.
David’s teaching methodologies are very effective. He showed us how to practice in sets, measures, adding in reverse, spaced repetition, etc. We progressed quickly and it exceeded my expectation. Within a month I was able to play a piece (Castle in the Sky) that I never thought would be possible for me as a total beginner in music. My daughter also learned a few pieces like Old McDonald, Mary had a little lamb, and she’s beginning to challenge harder pieces from her favorite movie Frozen. David is very very good in explaining his methodologies and a lot of good suggestion so you will know exactly how to practice on your own or how to coach your kid to practice.
On top of these the students also have a semi-annual recital opportunity at Steinway. Students would play their long term or goal pieces. This is a very good opportunity for anyone to show their achievement and gain stage performance experience. David will coach us how to perform from start to end. David teaches with his acoustic Grand Piano in his very clean and cozy apartment that I’m sure everyone will feel comfortable in.
Lastly, David is very helpful even off lesson hours. We would text him any questions we have and he would promptly reply. He’s also very understanding and flexible when there’s schedule conflict or sometimes the kid is sick. We’ve been enjoying his lessons very much and I would highly recommend David to anyone who wants to learn or get better in playing Piano.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Stephanie J.
Sherry is an exceptional piano teacher. In addition to teaching my kids for two years, she recently gave me my first adult pianolesson since I stopped playing at 12. I learned more in one hour than I did from my childhood teacher in nearly a decade!!
She has been warm, flexible and reliable and also is playful but challenges our kids to learn. She has been working with them since they were 5 and they have learned both theory and to play beautifully. She adapts her teaching style to meet their needs and is always available and positive. She works well with parents and gives parents and students a voice in the learning process.
She is down to earth very relatable and will meet you where you and your child is at. She is capable of being highly rigorous for those parents and students who are interested in developing to competitive levels. At the same time she can be laid back and easy going if the goal is primarily growth at an easy pace. Always fun and bright Sherry is delightful and well versed in all kinds of music.
Sherry Kim Piano Studio
Erica V.
I’ve been studying with David for the last 9 months and it has been a great experience. I went from a true beginner in October, unable to read music, to performing the A section of Für Elise at my first in-person recital at the National Opera Center in June.
The studio is a really nice community of serious adult students (and a few really talented kids) and my progress has been incredibly fast due to David’s patience and teaching methods. He caters to true beginners (like me) and also to more experienced students.
The studio has a number of virtual and in-person performance opportunities. I particularly enjoyed the 6 weeks of performance training that we did within our strategic teams leading up to the recital.
David is extremely organized and communicative and uses technology to help make the virtual lessons feel as real as possible. I typically attend in-person lessons at David’s studio in NYC, but it’s nice to have the flexibility to attend remotely as well.
I highly recommend David to anyone who is looking to learn or improve their piano skills quickly!
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Tina L.
I’m a 30-something creative director based in Brooklyn who didn’t have much experience playing music as a kid. During quarantine, I started taking pianolessons to eventually produce my own music. I’m also a DJ who is interested in music production, but wanted to build a foundation in playing an instrument.
I started taking group strategy sessions with David in February 2022, and I’m so glad I did. From February to May, I learned so much and was able to up level at a pace I didn’t think was possible. I learned how to read music, basic music theory, different aspects of playing such as dynamics, voicing, continuity, and more.
The strategy sessions were great too because it allowed me to perform in front of other students who were at varying levels, and gather feedback. I also learned how to provide constructive feedback as well. Being able to play parts of my goal piece Prototype by Outkast has been really fun to learn to play, and dissect a song that I’ve loved so long.
In June, I performed at my first recital with the group. It was great to go through performance training that included mental practice, and considering different performance conditions so that we felt well prepared.
I’m no longer in the group strategy sessions as of Dec 2022, but I am working with Malissa Tong who is part of David’s network of incredible teachers. Working with her 1:1 with 30 min weekly lessons have been productive as well I’m continuing my practice.
I highly recommend David and Malissa if you’re looking to seriously up level your piano practice, regardless if you’re a beginner or a pro at any age.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Ken W.
I've made unbelievable progress since I stared with David Chang's program. I started as a total beginner with blank musical background in December 2022. Over the course of 4 months, I was able to work with David to ramp up to perform my first piece of choice, Una Mattina - a piece from an Oscar winning The Intouchables. It was a simple yet beautiful piece that gained its popularity over time. As a total beginner, I had doubts. But by following David's guidance using his methodology, I was able to make good progress and finally become sufficient to perform in Steinway Hall for my fellow students and their friends and families.
David's focus on performance and his practical way to approach music theory are aligned with my learning style. As an adult student, I started pianolessons because I've always wanted to do so while I was young but didn't get a chance to do it. So when I started as an adult, I knew I won't be able to compare with others with consistent training since they were kids. That's David's approach here helps me see my progress, which enables me to perform for others if I want to.
Overall the experience has been great. I can image myself following David for some time to learn more from him.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
Jonathan F.
David is fantastic. He is an amazing teacher and resource, and I unequivocally recommend him.
I played piano for several years growing up but when I started working with David, I hadn't touched a piano in 20 years. Although I had a decent amount of experience, I set modest goals for myself to learn a few intermediate pieces for my own enjoyment. With David's encouragement and instruction I've been able to wildly surpass my own expectations for what I thought I was capable of playing. I've learned my dream piece, Chopin's Ballade No.1, as well as other pieces that were daunting before David helped me learn them (Rachmaninoff's Etude Op. 33 No.4, Chopin Etude Opus 10 No. 9, Bach's Partita #1).
David has a unique approach to helping you learn, memorize, and correct your mistakes. It involves learning sections of pieces in small sets and then stringing them together like a patchwork quilt, rather than trying to practice the whole piece all at once.
David also emphasizes learning these smaller sets in reverse, so you practice the ends of measures, which ordinarily get less attention as people usually play from the beginning and then stop when they make a mistake. He also teaches "spaced repetition," which involves practicing areas and then coming back to them later on, which is more effective than repeating the same few measures over and over again. David's approach has helped me learn pieces much more quickly and effectively than I can remember learning them as a kid.
I've also learned so much about the musicality in my playing, more than I ever did growing up. One thing David emphasizes are huge contrasts between loud and soft sections (he says they should be as different as night and day), as well as constant shaping of measures even within loud and soft areas, so that you always hear a rise or fall in volume. These huge contrasts and continuous shaping are what makes music interesting to hear. I can feel how much better my playing sounds when I pay close attention to these dynamics and shaping.
I've also received great advice on technical solutions for difficult pieces. David has suggested several techniques to help me relax my hands and arm, and to avoid holding notes longer than necessary. These technical suggestions were invaluable for helping me with Chopin's etude Op. 10 No. 9, which involves large reaches between notes with the left hand. I often find David can hear things in my playing that I would not be able to pick myself. I find his advice invaluable in spotting mistakes and errors, as well as musical suggestions, that have helped me learn pieces better and faster.
In addition to his lessons, I feel part of a welcoming community of students who form David's studio. He holds studio classes at no cost four times a year where students play for each other and offer advice and suggestions on improving. I look forward to these sessions both to improve my own playing and to encourage other students in the studio. Students of all levels play in studio classes and I have seen David help advanced students and complete beginners.
The studio has recitals twice a year. I never performed my pieces when I played growing up so it was challenging and exciting to perform for an audience. David had lots of great advice for handling the emotional rigors of playing in front of other people under the spotlight. I had the opportunity to play my piece at Steinway Hall in Manhattan for about 60 people which was one of the greatest thrills I've had playing piano. I've now amassed about 40 minutes of repertoire and am working toward putting together a one hour solo program, something I didn't think possible when I started.
David has been a patient and eager teacher. He is easy to reach and responds very quickly when I send him a message. I feel he is invested in my success and wants to see me reach my potential as a pianist.
I feel fortunate to have found David when I was searching for an instructor and I am sure you will too.
David Chang Music - Online and Brooklyn, NY
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