Three, I live in an apartment. He works out how to play each piece with nine fingers so he can show me the fingering. He gives me beautiful chord progressions and exciting assignments that I love to practice. After ten months of work with Adam, I have made it through the first book, and Adam brought me a couple of classical pieces I can now play, slowly but with expression and pleasure.
Recently I got a digital piano with headphones, so I can practice without driving neighbors nuts; and now practicing is my secret vice. If playing piano is on your bucket list, he's the man to call. He was our son's piano teacher from about age 9 to age One of Adam's super powers is his ability to connect with his students across a really wide range of ages to create curiosity for learning, encouragement for practice, and desire for mastery.
I am amazed at how he managed to keep kindling our son's interest by giving him choice in the pieces they learn, but at the same time, balancing the increase in skill and technique along the way. We are so grateful that our son has gotten to have him as a teacher. I am sure our son will be hitting up Adam when he comes home from college for the holidays! Adam's style is approachable, yet accomplished, and gets to the heart of the melody and technique of a song.
Rather than take a strict "you must do it this way", Adam is able to appeal to his students with the original score while showing how to get there and what else is possible.
Having seen both my children learn over a 10 year period, I am refreshed to finally see a teacher who can preserve the joy of the music and of playing in his students. Added bonus: he is a joy to listen to! I am confident our year old will stay with the instrument for a while, and will have fond memories of this period of learning from Adam. He was excellent at gauging my abilities and aiming instruction and homework to my level. He knows theory and improvisation that go far deeper than anything I will ever be able to master, but he offers plenty of new ideas and next level approaches that have broadened my playing, melodically and chordally.
