MJC Ottawa Piano Lessons: Modern styles - Pop, Rock, Blues Jazz,

Matt is an amazing teacher! He gave me the perfect balance between learning theory and playing songs that I was interested in. I would strongly recommend him to anyone. Whether you're looking for very structured lessons or a less rigid, more open style, he can do it all. Thanks Matt!

As a young child, I had taken some classical piano lessons and basically disliked the whole process to the point where I abandoned piano all together for many years. However, I always had a love for music, particularly rock, jazz and the blues. A friend of mine re-ignited my desire to learn piano by showing me some very very basic blues/jazz improvisation. My friend showed me a few chord progressions and basically improvised melodies on top of these progressions.

As such, I searched for a teacher who could show me this type of music as opposed to the classical approach. I am happy and fortunate to have found Matt. His teaching style is rigorous but laid back. He reviews a lot of the basics but at the same time emphasizes that you should never lose sight of the fun! For example, one week, I did not have a chance to do the "homework" Matt had given me because my son wanted me to play some Beatles songs for him. So I spent the week playing and learning Beatles songs. At the lesson, Matt was not upset that I had not done my homework but he was pleased that I had spent time enjoying music, learning different songs, and figuring things out for myself. The key is to learn but never forget to enjoy as you learn. Matt showed me that learning does not have to be a painful process but can be fun and invigorating. No matter what your level, after a few lessons with Matt, I am sure that you will learn enough to experiment on your own and grow musically. As you progress, he shows you more and more interesting and innovative approaches to learning music and understanding songs, chord progressions etc.

I have taken about 1 year of lessons with Matt and have reached a level where I can play many popular songs, jazz standards, and blues. I still enjoy playing the piano and this is in large part because of Matt's instruction. I only have the highest recommendation for Matt and his approach to teaching.

Matthew is an excellent piano teacher. He's incredibly knowledgeable, and extremely patient. I'm sure he can handle a wide variety of skill levels, as I came to him as a beginner. He was able to describe concepts in great detail and formulate lesson plans in a coherent and well thought-out manner. I would certainly recommend his music services!

matt is an extremely talented and experienced pianist and opera singer, and therefore makes a fantastic piano and vocal coach. he makes sure his students understand the 'WHY' of what they're doing, as equally importantly as the 'HOW'.. it makes a difference! he is also very flexible with his scheduling. ++ recommend!!