When it comes to performing and teaching piano, my interests are as follows:
1) How can I perform in a way that is masterful and interesting?
2) How can I increase the chances that students continuously improve from one week to the next?
I have been teaching piano and composition since 2010. Students must be older than 10 and have a serious affinity for music. Past students have won honors and prizes in the Music Teachers Association of California and the US Open Music Competition, including first prizes in solo events. Students have gone on to pursue higher degrees, including from UC Berkeley and UCLA.
Currently serving the Madison, WI area with in-person piano lessons, and throughout the country online.
Students will learn a large cross-section of the canonic repertoire to an advanced level (to the level of Chopin Etudes, Beethoven Sonatas, Bach Well-Tempered Clavier, and beyond) as well as the needed steps to get there.
Students are also expected to master their fundamental abilities, including all Major and minor scales, arpeggios, chords, counting while playing, and sight-reading.
Though the time spent in the lesson is crucial, the time spent at home is 7x more important. Therefore, students will learn how to get the most out of their practice sessions by adopting efficient practice techniques, by going through practice simulations, and by analyzing their own practice sessions. I encourage all students to create good habits in their musical and non-musical lives.
Additional benefits from having a composer-pianist as a teacher: individually-crafted compositions, sight-reading, theory, exercises as needed.
60-minute lesson
60-minute lesson + short online sessions
90-minute lesson
Call or email to schedule a lesson:
(510)759-0278
eric.tran.piano@icloud.com
Testimonials from individual and university students:
– "I have found Eric's desire to foster growth as a person, not just as a performer/student of music, relieving and encouraging. He genuinely cares about the well-being of his students, which for me, enables me to improve my skills more significantly, because I know that Eric respects who my personhood."
– "Eric is a charming, engaging teacher who genuinely cares about his students and, above all, a wonderful role model."
– "Really helped inspire me and teach me to see so many new perspectives of music. Incredible!"
– "He has helped me rediscover a love for playing piano while also encouraging me to do my best. He is extremely motivational and understanding, and it means a lot. One of the best instructors I've had at this university."
(during the transition to online, Spring 2020)
– "Eric's passion for the class shows through the scales and repertoire that he transcribes/transposes for our class specifically. Adaption to online teaching was great as well, very fluid with no surprises. Good motivator and supporter for those in the class struggling."
– "Eric was very upbeat and positive about learning and piano, and piano was always a highlight of of my week. The assignments were all challenging yet doable, and really helped in our progress in our piano journey. Eric also has handled the transition to online instruction better than any of my other instructors, and the content and assignments have still kept pushing us in our journey. Eric did a great job pushing us with challenging music and by making us play in front of each other, but our class space very positive and inclusive where no one felt uncomfortable. Overall, Eric has been one of my favorite instructors this semester."