Hello! We specialize in helping the serious adult pianist to learn piano extremely rapidly from sheet music - faster than anyone else - regardless of age or ability (total beginners, beginners, intermediate students, advanced students, and professionals are all suitable for all programs!).
Students using my methods typically accomplish in 6 months to a year what would have normally taken them 3 to 5+ years otherwise.
The difference is not just in the speed, but in the quality. When I talk about these time frames, I’m talking about high-level playing with the utmost musicality and expression.
I currently offer four different programs:
1) Pianist Collective, my online mastermind (online only)
2) 1-to-1 private coaching with me (online only)
3) The strategic teams with Malissa (in-person in Brooklyn, NY and online)
4) Private lessons with Tristan, Isidora, Jacob, or Alex (online only)
You can find more information about these programs and teachers a few paragraphs down.
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(Please skip this section if you’re an adult looking for lessons for yourself.)
I am no longer teaching children and teenagers personally at this point.
Also, we currently are no longer accepting children or teenagers into our programs in general except in extraordinary circumstances.
Again, we typically work only with serious adults.
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(Please skip this section if you’re not a piano teacher.)
If you are a piano teacher that wishes to improve your playing, teaching, and/or business sense, I am uniquely able to take you to the next level and beyond in all three aspects.
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Tristan holds a doctorate in classical piano performance from NYU and has taught for SUNY New Paltz. Like me, he has been teaching for over 20 years since he was a teenager. He is extremely knowledgeable about music theory, new music, and the standard repertoire.
Isidora holds a master’s in classical piano performance from NYU and served as adjunct faculty there. At NYU, she taught keyboard skills classes, group classes, and private lessons. She is extremely knowledgeable about the Taubman Approach and how to play with a healthy technique free of tension, pain, and fatigue. She also studied with my own teacher and is the first teacher I ever trained in my learning methodologies.
Malissa holds a doctorate in collaborative piano and music education from Ball State University and is currently teaching for Mannes, the New School. She has presented in many state and national music teacher conferences and adjudicated for numerous piano competitions and festivals.
Jacob holds a master’s degree in jazz piano performance and a graduate performance diploma from Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University; essentially a second master’s). He is extremely knowledgeable about the Taubman Approach and how to play with a healthy technique free of tension, pain, and fatigue. He is highly knowledgeable about composition, improvisation, and music theory (both jazz and classical).
Alex holds a doctorate in classical piano performance from Boston University. He is currently teaching applied, studio, and group piano at Westfield State University. He taught previously for both New York University and Boston University while conducting his graduate studies.
***Pianist Collective***
- Pricing is a monthly subscription of $566.66 a month.
- Only reliable, long-term students are considered. Admission is based on a 2-hour interview.
- This is an online mastermind for serious adults only.
- Like all other programs at David Chang Music, admission is not based on ability or experience - total beginner, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional levels are all welcome.
- This is my strongest format with the strongest results for adult learners - something beyond private lessons, group lessons, apps, and courses.
- A mastermind is based on the strength of its members. The stronger the members, the stronger the mastermind. We take great care in the interview process to build this one-of-a-kind community.
- We don’t have auditions or required practice time, perhaps surprisingly.
- Instead, we’re looking for smart, friendly, driven adults passionate about the piano that will add to the good energy of the Collective so that we can all grow together.
- This is the only format I’m personally teaching now other than virtual private lessons on an extremely limited basis.
Here’s what to expect in Pianist Collective:
- Personalized care from a primary teacher directly responsible for your progress (just like in private lessons) with feedback every bit as valuable (but really made more valuable through frequency and flexibility).
- Twice weekly 2-hour collaboration calls that students can attend as much or as little of as they wish for accountable practice, answering of all questions, performance practice, or just spending time together.
- Independent practice where every student can work on goals every bit as serious and ambitious as in private lessons.
- 24/7 access to an online community of serious adult learners where you can get practice questions answered (through text, sheet music, and video), collaborate with others, watch all past collaboration calls, explore the fully searchable platform, and submit practice videos for comments anytime - since many questions can be answered asynchronously with no decrease in quality.
- The ability to chat, make friends, and hang out with other serious adult learners anytime.
- A private line of communication separate from the community (text, iMessage, Skool DM, etc.) with me or with another professional pianist where questions can also be answered anytime.
- Completely customizable accountability systems (weekly check-ins, twice weekly check-ins, etc.).
- A complete transformation of strategy and mindset in learning the piano - taken to the next level with the community, increased performance opportunities, increased live feedback opportunities, and ever-growing video content.
- The extremely rapid acquisition of independence from the teacher - faster than both private lessons and group lessons.
- Highly specialized performance training with constant performance opportunities both within and outside of the 4 hours of calls each week.
- Highly specialized pedagogy / teaching training available 24/7 as you’re your own teacher every moment of your own practice time.
- Feedback from multiple professional pianists and knowledgeable peers when helpful.
- A roughly 20-hour long course on transforming your mindset from the ground up into the sort of person able to achieve their pianistic (and life) goals.
- True co-creation of my publicly available course over time - Collective members determine more than half of my created YouTube content and contribute directly to the evolution of my methodologies.
- YouTube videos of my methodologies recommended to you in the custom order most useful specifically for you.
- 2 online recitals and 1 in-person recital each year.
- 4 online studio classes a year.
- Monthly in-person meetups organized by members.
- Other special events.
***Elite 1-to-1 Private Coaching***
- My openings for private students / clients at this point are extremely limited due to exceptionally high demand.
- Lessons are $450 for 1 hour (around $1,800 a month), $375 for 45 minutes (around $1,500 a month), and $250 for 30 minutes (around $1,000 a month).
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students with excellent attendance are considered. Admission is based on a 2-hour interview.
- Obviously, every moment of the lesson is custom-tailored for maximum efficiency and quality for you specifically.
- Suitable candidates tend to be highly successful in their careers and tend to strive for excellence in everything that they do. They also describe the piano as something extremely important to them. They thus seek out personalized coaching of the utmost quality to bring them to their goals as quickly as possible.
- Clients seek me out to advance at the piano as rapidly as possible… and to break through to the next level of their professional careers as well (whether they’re professional musicians, software engineers, attorneys, or anything else!).
***Strategic Teams***
- Pricing is $120 for 90-minute sessions (around $480 a month).
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students are considered. Admission is based on a 90-minute interview.
- Both in-person lessons (here in my Prospect Heights, Brooklyn studio) and online lessons are offered for adults.
Here’s what to expect within the strategic teams:
- Personalized care from a primary teacher directly responsible for your progress (just like in private lessons) with feedback every bit as valuable.
- 90-minute sessions once a week in-person or online.
- Independent practice where every student can work on goals every bit as serious and ambitious as in private lessons.
- Weekly collaboration with like-minded peers that can include performance, critique, and discussion.
- Teams of up to five or six that can include both in-person and online students.
- A complete transformation of strategy and mindset in learning the piano.
- The extremely rapid acquisition of independence from the teacher.
- Highly specialized performance training with performance opportunities for others every week during the session time.
- Highly specialized pedagogy / teaching training as you’re your own teacher every moment of your own practice time.
- Increasing numbers of performance opportunities as the program grows.
- For in-person students, the sessions take place in a beautiful building with my baby grand piano and 5 high-end keyboards.
More about Malissa:
- Born and raised in Brooklyn, Malissa holds a doctorate in collaborative piano and music education from Ball State University, a master’s in piano performance and piano pedagogy from Ohio University, and a bachelor’s in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
- Has taught all ages and abilities for over 15 years.
- Currently teaching at the college level and is on the piano faculty of Mannes, the New School.
- Has presented at numerous state and national music teacher conferences. Her recent acceptance was an international conference in Estonia through the College of Music Society presenting on a duet written by an Estonian composer utilizing extended piano techniques.
- Has adjudicated for numerous piano competitions and festivals and helped organize and facilitate numerous conferences and piano competitions. Currently, Malissa is the Executive Assistant Director in the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition assisting in running a 5-day piano competition.
- Malissa’s personal teaching style is about finding a balance in the discipline and the creativity of a student, similar to the balance needed between melody and harmony in playing. She writes: “Every student who studies piano has specific reasons to take piano lessons. Whether it is for the joy of playing piano, to learn a specific piece, or to pursue a career in piano, as their teacher it is my job to guide my students in fulfilling their goals and happiness whatever it may be.”
- “As a teacher, Malissa brings a richly varied background to the table, teaching a wide range of ages and levels for well over a decade. Equally comfortable in Baroque through new music, Malissa’s musical curiosity leads her to choose composers and programs that are often stylistically diverse. Background training includes an undergraduate concentration in pedagogy, numerous pedagogy seminars at the MM level, and her doctoral dissertation took the form of a case study in piano studio teaching. Most importantly, Malissa loves teaching and is constantly striving to give students the best she has to offer.”
- “Malissa was a fantastic piano teacher for our son for about 4 years. She was kind, encouraging, and enthusiastic. She sought to instill not only a love of piano but the art of practicing and playing music in her students. Truly a great music educator”
- “Ms. Tong was my daughter’s piano teacher for 3 years, in person and online, and a music teacher for 2, and has left a life changing impact on the music skills and working habits of my daughter Marina. At first, Malissa was Marina’s piano instructor through Ball State, but then also became her music teacher at her elementary school. In both of those capacities, I recognized in Malissa the qualities of a responsible, caring educator. She was always well organized, strategic, and diligent. Moreover, she knew how to motivate young learners to develop their music interest and skills, and was always supportive of her students' creativity. Finally, I saw that the results of my daughter’s rapid improvement were the direct result of Ms. Tong’s positive reinforcement and teaching methodology. Ms. Tong has the pedagogical and personal skills, as well as passion to be an outstanding music teacher, and I recommend her without reservation.”
- “We had an amazing opportunity to have Dr. Tong pouring love and music into our kids these last 3 years. She first started out as the music teacher at the school my students attended and then became the piano lesson for my son. My son started piano, but we had to stop because he did not enjoy his teacher prior to Dr. Tong. My son’s improvement at the piano was from night to day in about four months studying with Dr. Tong. Not only that, Malissa kept my son’s motivation going for many years and has left a last impression on him. She also supported my other children’s theater performances and has such a wonderful charm and charisma in her personality. Even as a parent, I want to learn the piano! I would highly recommend Malissa as your piano teacher.”
- “Dr. Tong has innate gifts that enable her to connect to her piano students. For example, my son loves sports such as basketball and football, has ADHD, yet he has an ear for music. Dr. Tong planned personalized lesson plans that ignited curiosity about the piano, listened to my son’s interests, and composed pieces at my son’s level and interest. Dr. Tong’s work with my son was extraordinary.”
***Private Lessons with Tristan***
- Lessons are $120 for 1 hour (around $480 a month), $99 for 45 minutes (around $396 a month), and $75 for 30 minutes (around $300 a month). More time will always lead to greater / faster progress.
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students are considered. Admission is based most often on a 90-minute interview.
- Only online lessons are offered.
- Holds a doctorate (PhD) in classical piano performance from NYU, a master’s from Manhattan School of Music, and a bachelor’s from NYU.
- Has taught for over 20 years from the age of 13.
- Celebrated for his “dramatic” and “assertive” playing (New York Times).
- Regularly performs in New York with groups such as TAK Ensemble, Tenth Intervention, and Friends of MATA, and has performed internationally in Europe and Australia.
- Extremely knowledgeable about music theory, new music, and the standard repertoire.
- Previously adjunct faculty at SUNY New Paltz.
- Tristan’s teaching philosophy: “When learning a piece, it's tempting to just get the notes and stop there, but that is only half the battle. What so many self-taught pianists miss out on is cultivating true musicality. I work with students of all ages and levels to bring out their individual artistry through informed and personal interpretations of each piece we work on, whether in method books or with standard classical repertoire. With my students I am always patient, kind, and encouraging. It is a long journey to master an instrument like the piano; I think of myself as a mentor rather than a strict taskmaster. I meet students where they are, and keep in mind that everyone comes to the piano with different abilities and experiences.”
- “I would highly suggest Tristan, especially as an adult beginner looking for no-judgment lessons."
- “Tristan deserves the highest rating that I can give! My 5 year old started virtually with him 3 months before she turned 5 and he is so patient, fun, and connects with her so well even through video. She is excited to practice each week and looks forward to her lessons and is making the kind of progress that blows my mind!"
- “Tristan is a true professional who cares about your child's development and progress. He has really connected with my children and approaches their different learning styles with ease. His lessons are organized, focused and he is in tune to my children's capabilities- he will push them but not over do it so the lessons are always enjoyable. He is patient and reassuring, they both really enjoy working with him.”
- “Taking lessons with Tristan over the past year has been one of the most rewarding hobbies I've revisited as an adult. All through elementary, middle, and high school I studied piano with weekly lessons and then played occasionally in college. For the past ten years, though, I really didn't touch it at all. I found it hard to stay in the habit of playing because the kind of music I wanted to study was a little too difficult to attack on my own, and I had no discipline without a teacher. With Tristan, not only am I motivated to practice throughout the week, but he's also coached me on techniques of play -- ways to work out fingerings, chunking the minutes I practice to focus on a few measures at a time, studying a piece to bring out its musicality -- that have brought me to new levels of skill & maturity with the instrument."
- “Tristan is an incredible piano teacher. My daughter has been studying with him for over a year and has found a new level of excitement and commitment under his tutelage. He challenges her, encourages her, makes it fun, and is always on time. During Covid, when the lessons moved to online, my daughter still enjoys and learns from the lessons virtually. He organizes wonderful recitals with all of his students and is easy to communicate with. He is also an overall trustworthy and kind person, someone I am happy to have in my daughter's life, and in mine as well. Really, I couldn't be happier.”
- “Working with Tristan has been fantastic. He's an engaged, thoughtful, hardworking presence, and our daughter has learned a great deal from him & continues to grow as a musician and as a music-lover.”
- “I'm an adult piano student and composer, working on my own project but also learning medium-to-advanced 20th-century repertoire including Prokofiev, Poulenc, and Shostakovich. Tristan was initially recommended to me because he is a superb performer of new piano music, a range of experience that most piano teachers don't have. Working with him, I discovered that he was just as insightful about older music. Tristan's approach to the piano is based on identifying and working through challenges, both technical and expressive: how to play a passage to bring out the musical intent I wanted. He was always ready to offer alternative approaches for different musical goals, and he never shied away from trying out a passage himself to find the most effective way to play it--which was especially valuable when I had written the passage myself! With Tristan, the focus is on repertoire, not on endless exercises. And it's on solutions that are both technical (hand and body position and technique) and musical/expressive, not just on one or the other. I count myself extremely lucky to have worked with him, and I'm unambiguously a better pianist for it.”
- “Since 2012, Tristan has been the piano teacher to all three of our children starting at the age of 5. Tristan's command of music theory coupled with his academic background has been instrumental to our children's music education. His instruction is adaptive and yet still structured and thorough. He encourages them to explore different pieces and makes sure that they are properly challenged and motivated along the way. As a result, they are all very active in a broad spectrum of performing arts - in the choir, jazz band, theater, etc. In addition, the focus and discipline that they have developed over the years playing the piano have clearly helped them in other subjects and they have all academically thrived throughout elementary, middle, and high school. The children truly look forward to their Monday afternoon lessons and we have been very lucky to have him with us all these years."
- “Tristan has been teaching our two children piano for several years and they have shown remarkable progress in their skills thanks to his guidance. He is extremely knowledgeable in music theory and knows how to inspire the kids to take on challenges and perform to the best of their abilities. He is good about mixing traditional/classical pieces with more contemporary one to keep the kids engaged. Additionally, he is a warm and friendly presence but we appreciate the way he keeps the kids on track and offers candid feedback when they are falling behind and not living up their potential. During the pandemic, his virtual lessons have been highly effective and provided our kids with a desperately needed diversion."
***Private Lessons with Isidora***
- Lessons are $120 for 1 hour (around $480 a month), $99 for 45 minutes (around $396 a month), and $75 for 30 minutes (around $300 a month). More time will always lead to greater / faster progress.
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students are considered. Admission is based most often on a 90-minute interview.
- Only online lessons are offered.
- Holds both a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in classical piano performance from New York University.
- Taught keyboard skills classes, group classes, and private lessons as adjunct faculty at NYU.
- Has performed solo and collaborative works ranging from Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvořák to Stockhausen, Boulez, and Kurtag in venues across NYC such as Steinway Hall, Provincetown Playhouse, the Institute of Fine Arts, and Bohemian National Hall as well as the Colegiata de San Juan Bautista in Spain.
- Performed in the Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance, the International Keyboard Institute and Festival, and the Gijón International Piano Festival (Spain).
- Performed in masterclasses for artists such as Robert McDonald, Nelita True, Alexander Kobrin, Heasook Rhee, and Barry Snyder.
- Studied with Jeffrey Swann, Marc Ponthus, and José Ramón Méndez (who was also my own teacher!).
- The first teacher I ever trained in my unique learning methodologies.
- Has trained extensively for the last 8 years in the Taubman Approach and continues to study with Robert Durso, co-founder and senior director of the Golandsky Institute. According to the Institute, “the Approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical limitations and playing-related injuries. The aim of the Institute is to provide musicians with a foundation that allows for full artistic expression and the development of virtuosic technical ability.” This means developing a healthy technique that is free of tension, pain, and fatigue.
- Isidora’s ultimate goal as a piano teacher is to teach her students how to learn, practice, and express music effectively in a welcoming and collaborative lesson environment. She strives to actively engage students in their learning through discovery and problem-solving and make sure that they are developing healthy physical habits at the instrument.
- “Isidora is teaching my 10 years old daughter piano for almost 2 years and we cannot recommend her highly enough. The atmosphere at her l lessons is encouraging, engaging and fun. In her teaching theory and ear training Isidora is using creative activities like simple improvisation and harmonization. Isidora was able to pivot and adopt to new reality using available technologies to make her lessons as effective as they would be in person -audio/video quality and setup of devices makes it easy to learn and understand. Her detailed lesson notes include what and how to practice and sometimes have linked audio recordings as practice aids. Overall, thanks to Isidora, my daughter is fluent in reading music notes and comfortable playing piano at her level. We are very happy with Isidora’s lessons.”
- “I have been taking lessons with Isidora for a few months now and have been thoroughly enjoying our work together. We work together online through video and have had no issues, both the sound and video are top notch. Besides being a wonderful pianists she is also a wonderful teacher. Lessons are always an easy going, stress free affair with clear instruction and good constructive feedback. I often send her videos during the week of myself playing for her opinion on how Im doing which I think is really great-it helps me feel like Im on track. She teaches using the Taubman approach with the aim to help pianists use their body in a more natural manner to facilitate ease and comfort at the piano. Overall, I cant recommend Isidora enough. Im looking forward to continuing my studies with her and learning as much as I can.”
- “I'm very happy to be taking piano lessons with Isidora. She's very patient and encouraging during the lesson. If I don't understand something, she's creative in finding new ways to explain it. As an experienced teacher, she listens closely and gives very supportive and helpful comments. I always look forward to my lessons with Isidora--it's a pleasure to study”
-“Isidora is a friendly, patient, responsive, and very skilled piano teacher. She has greatly improved my piano technique.”
***Private Lessons with Jacob***
- Lessons are $120 for 1 hour (around $480 a month), $99 for 45 minutes (around $396 a month), and $75 for 30 minutes (around $300 a month). More time will always lead to greater / faster progress.
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students are considered. Admission is based most often on a 90-minute interview.
- Only online lessons are offered.
- Holds a master’s in jazz piano performance from Manhattan School of Music, a graduate performance diploma in jazz piano performance from Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University; essentially a second master’s; full merit scholarship), and a bachelor’s in jazz piano performance with a minor in classical piano performance from Peabody Institute.
- Toured extensively in Japan, playing at large concert venues with the Baltimore City Jazz Quartet. The quartet was specially selected to commemorate the celebration of the Kawasaka and Baltimore sister city relationship.
- Toured and conducted educational workshops in Singapore with the Peabody Jazz Quartet. The group was chosen to promote the Peabody Conservatory jazz program in Southeast Asia.
- Spent 5 years as an in demand jazz pianist in the Baltimore/DC area. Performed solo and in small groups at clubs and venues.
- Performed alongside jazz luminaries Gary Thomas and Michael Formanek.
- Original large ensemble compositions premiered by the Peabody Jazz Orchestra.
- Orchestral work commissioned and premiered by the American Studio Orchestra at the Black Box Theater at the Maryland Institute of Art.
- Composed a large body of original small jazz ensemble compositions as well as chamber music. Works include a piano trio for piano, violin, and cello as well as a piece for brass quintet.
- Selected to perform in a masterclass with Edna Golandsky, founder and artistic director of the Golandsky Institute (preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach).
- Guided injured pianists through recovery and retraining. Used core principles of Taubman Approach to help students develop healthy playing habits and overcome pain and limitations.
- Created and led piano faculty training workshops on teaching proper technique and improvisation methods for students.
- Extremely knowledgeable about composition, improvisation, and music theory (both jazz and classical).
- Coached jazz pianists to apply advanced jazz harmony voicings and improvisation techniques to the standard
jazz repertoire.
- Created a systematic approach for developing jazz vocabulary and expanding harmonic knowledge.
- Integrated the Taubman Approach in jazz piano lessons to help students overcome technical challenges such as stretching in highly chromatic passages, managing large left hand leaps in stride piano styles, and achieving fluid, quick tempi in right hand melodic lines.
- Tutored students in traditional music theory: intervals, scales, chords, harmonic function, 4 part writing, voice leading, melodic ornamentation, form, and structure.
-Jacob’s teaching philosophy: “A joy of learning and passion for music are at the core of my approach. I believe that everybody should be able to play piano if they have the desire and work to achieve their goals. My responsibility as a teacher is to help facilitate and guide students towards their goals and reach their full musical potential. It’s critical to foster a sense of self inquiry in the student - a teacher must show the student how to learn, how to observe themselves and how to achieve positive practice results. Inquiry based learning produces engaged and thoughtful students who are invested in the process at every step of the way. I believe that the teacher is also a learner and should communicate from the point of view of the learner. Every lesson I teach is a lesson that I learn. I ensure each student develops a kinesthetic sense at the piano with a focus on health body alignment.”
-“I'm re-learning to play piano after 30 years. I love Jacob's refreshing teaching style and the Taubman approach. He makes the lessons fun and interesting, and I see the progress I make from week to week. Jacob works with me at my pace and on my interests, with a focus on musicality and the potential to learn any music with ease. I highly recommend Jacob as a teacher to all ages and abilities.”
- “My daughter and I were beginner pianists and Jacob made learning fun and consistently interesting. Jacob’s passion for music and enthusiasm as a teacher has inspired us to keep learning!”
- “Jacob Silver is a terrific piano teacher. He is just what I was looking for. He analyzed my problems immediately and had a step-by-step approach tackling them. He is a great mixture of enthusiastic but not overwhelming. It was an inspiring experience: I saw progress even within the hour and a half we were together.”
- “I’ve been working with Jacob for several months. He has been patiently retraining me in the Taubman approach after years of terrible technique that led to injury. We have made a lot of progress. He has made very thoughtful suggestions throughout, literally every one of them resonating with me in a way no other teacher's advice has. He’s also made it clear to me that he really cares about my journey by contacting his teacher and routinely troubleshooting my case with him. I’d recommend him to anyone looking to explore the Taubman approach or learning to play piano in any capacity.”
***Private Lessons with Alex***
- Lessons are $120 for 1 hour (around $480 a month), $99 for 45 minutes (around $396 a month), and $75 for 30 minutes (around $300 a month). More time will always lead to greater / faster progress.
- Only reliable, weekly, long-term students are considered. Admission is based most often on a 90-minute interview.
- Only online lessons are offered.
- Holds a doctorate (DMA) in classical piano performance from Boston University, a graduate performance diploma (essentially a second master’s) from Hartt School of Music, a master’s from NYU, and a bachelor’s from University of South Carolina (all in classical piano performance).
- Performed throughout Italy, Spain, Canada, Portugal, and the United States in venues such as Symphony Hall (Boston, MA), Steinway Hall (New York, NY), the National Opera Center (New York), and the Koger Center for the Arts (Columbia, SC).
- Recipient of the Mary Curtis Hawes Award for outstanding improvement and quality contribution to USC School of Music.
- In recognition of his teaching, he was appointed positions at New York University and Boston University while conducting his graduate studies.
- Appointed Visiting Lecturer in Piano at Westfield State University where he currently organizes the applied, studio, and group piano curricula.
- His recent scholarly work on Claude Debussy was recently presented at the 2023 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago where it received an honorable mention.
- Studied with Marina Lomazov, Alexander Korsantia, Luiz de Moura Castro, Pavel Nersessian, and José Ramón Méndez (who was also my own teacher!).
- Performed in masterclasses for Alexander Kobrin, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, John Perry, and Vladimir Feltsman.
- As a collaborator, his album of original works by Nicholas Patrick Quigley was recorded during the pandemic and received reviews by BU Today, Boston Hassle, and The Herald News.
- In addition to his role at Westfield State University, Dr. Thomas is a faculty member of All Newton Music School in Newton.
***
I am a professional pianist, pedagogue, and entrepreneur with a bachelor's degree in music education from New York University and a master's degree in classical piano performance from Manhattan School of Music. I have created many unique methodologies that detail how to learn and memorize music with maximum efficiency. And of course, I show my students how to conquer technical and musical difficulties in order to develop into artists with their own voices. As a result, my students progress extremely quickly and attain very high levels of playing in a fraction of the usual time required. They also seem to truly enjoy the process.
I am a current Thumbtack Top Pro and Steinway Educational Partner. I was a recipient of the Steinway Top Teacher Award in both 2021 and 2022, which was awarded for my “hard work and dedication to music education” and for “the care and commitment with which [I] approach [my] piano students.” Back when I was teaching in-person, I had students come to me from as far away as Queens, upper Manhattan, the Bronx, New Jersey, and Long Island (sometimes 2-hour long commutes). Online, I am one of the most in-demand teachers in the country and have taught internationally as well.
I have taught students of all ages (3 and up) and abilities for over 20 years and have prepared students for ABRSM exams, NYSSMA exams, specialized middle school and high school auditions, pre-college programs, college auditions (to major in music), other auditions, guzheng (古箏) exams, competitions, and all types of performances. I have also served as a judge for both NYSSMA and piano competitions. Of course, I have also taught many students who are learning just for themselves. If you are a beginner and/or don't know how to read sheet music, I can definitely help you! If you are interested in learning how to play the piano while singing, I can definitely help as well. Finally, I also welcome serious students of piano who are thinking about making classical music into a career choice. (Side note: I’m a singer and multi-instrumentalist and used to do a lot of other musical things as well.)
Additionally, I also offer both pedagogy and business training to prospective or current piano teachers who want to improve their teaching and/or are trying to expand their own piano studios. I have helped many other professional pianists and teachers who have inquired about my methodologies (both for themselves and for their students) and my students include and have included those who are piano teachers themselves. And as one of the most in-demand piano teachers on Thumbtack throughout the United States (one of the top even amongst the Top Pros), I am happy to share my business expertise as well. Interestingly, Pianist Collective itself is actually one of the greatest professional trainings conceivable for piano teachers. They receive all the benefits a regular student would receive along with irreplaceable pedagogy and business learnings that will create for them truly unique life opportunities.
My teaching methodologies include how to learn and memorize with maximum efficiency (I have spent years specifically researching and creating many methodologies); how to solve technical / mechanical / relaxation issues (including how to achieve far greater speed, accuracy, and control); how to achieve extremely high levels of musicality, nuance, and expression; how to transform strategy and mindset from the ground up and evolve into a higher you; how to express yourself musically and connect with your inner self; how to rapidly gain autonomy and independence from the teacher; how to practice physically, mentally (my mental practice techniques go into truly granular detail just like my physical techniques), and emotionally; how to set and achieve goals; how to use both motivation and willpower to your advantage; and much more besides. One of the unique components of my lessons is that I teach very specifically what I like to think of as the art of practicing itself (derived from the methodologies I created). I coach students on how to logically solve all technical and musical difficulties (at least the aspects of music that CAN be logically solved) and then train them to be as independent of me as possible. This helps to unlock the door to true musical expression.
I have performed at such venues as Steinway Hall, Lincoln Center, Leith Hill Place (Surrey, UK), WeArts Theatre (Shanghai), Parsons Music Performance Center (Shanghai), Fazioli Piano Center (Taipei), Marc A. Scorca Hall of the National Opera Center, the Bitter End, Soapbox Gallery, Sullivan Hall, Flushing Town Hall, Molloy College, James C. Colgate Hall, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of New York, the Tenri Cultural Institute of New York, Black Box Theatre (NYU), Frederick Loewe Theatre (NYU), the Skirball Center (NYU), Goldmark Hall (Mannes), Pforzheimer Hall (MSM), Greenfield Hall (MSM), Yamaha Piano Salon, Prague Conservatory, Jan Deyl Conservatory (Prague), the Jazz Dock (Prague), the Centro Municipal Integrado El Llano (Gijón, Spain), and the Centro Municipal Integrado Pumarín (Gijón, Spain). I have participated in both the Gijón International Piano Festival (Spain) and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York), and have played in masterclasses for Robert McDonald, Yuan Sheng, José Ramos Santana, Nina Lelchuk, Gabriele Leporatti, Alexandre Moutouzkine, Amy Gustafson, Anthony de Mare, and Eduardus Halim. My teacher was José Ramón Méndez.
In 2016, I learned and memorized 100 pieces and uploaded them to YouTube to test and further advance my methodologies. I did the same with 150 pieces in 2017. In 2018, I gave solo piano recitals in both New York and Taipei. In 2019, I was the featured performer at the Manhattan International Film Festival. Also in 2019, I gave four solo piano recitals in New York, Shanghai (where I gave a masterclass as well), and Surrey (UK). In fall 2019, I performed in the New York Arabic Orchestra. In 2020, instead of giving recitals, I conducted more extensive research into learning and memorizing massive amounts of repertoire with maximum efficiency. As part of my project, I learned and memorized the complete Chopin Études in the latter six months of 2020. In 2021 and 2022, I started my strategic teams program (the highest-level group program I know of that exists) as well as hired and trained a number of truly top-caliber teachers in my unique methods in order to reach and help many more people.
In July 2023, I started Pianist Collective, the strongest and most exclusive community of serious adult learners in the world. I retired from both teaching in-person lessons and teaching children at that time in order to dedicate myself completely to helping adult amateurs and piano teachers. Now that we’re in 2024, our small, elite team at David Chang Music; the Collective itself; and David Chang Music itself has grown. As we continue to rapidly expand, I look forward to seeing where this awesome community goes from here!
Please feel free to message me with any questions you might have. I am genuinely passionate about teaching and sincerely care about each of my students. And if you are a part of my studio, you will find that I am very responsive and willing to help however I can. I look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Thank you!
