Become your own kind of musician
I offer piano and songwriting lessons focused on:
personal expression and developing your own musical voice
creative growth and confidence
technique that serves the music you want to make
ear training, rhythmic awareness, and music theory
improvisation, composition, and writing lyrics
Lessons are offered as weekly 60-minute sessions via Zoom. Openings are very limited.
Before starting lessons, we’ll meet to discuss your interests, goals, and musical experience.
Testimonials
“Always great instruction. Dedicated, knowledgeable, very patient, respectful and has a clear desire to help my child with her musical education.” - Daniel
“I’ve been taking piano lessons with Stephan and they’re SUCH a great teacher! I’ve been learning so much so fast!!” - Alli
“Stephan is such a great piano teacher. Working with them has helped to improve my sight singing skills and nervousness around playing in front of others. Always diligent, considerate, patient, and encouraging, I would highly recommend Stephan to any prospective student.” - Sandiana
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Music is a means of self-expression and self-discovery. I want my students to feel empowered to develop their own relationship with music, regardless of their tastes, interests, or experience level.
Learning an instrument takes discipline and vulnerability, but there’s plenty of room for fun. I value a strong technical foundation, but my ultimate goal is for students to become confident about making the music they actually want to make.
My foundational principles are simple:
Everyone is inherently musical.
Playing piano and writing songs are learnable skills.
Even if you’ve never used your music-making muscles, they’re still in there! Whether your goal is to accompany yourself while singing, learn to play your favorite songs, write songs, or eventually perform a sonata for a packed concert hall, there's a path from where you are now to where you want to go.
You don't need to be “talented” to develop your musicianship. You just need curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to practice.
ABOUT ME
I began playing piano at age 6 and went on to study under jazz pianist Vicki Brabham for several years. As a teenager, my passions were ragtime, boogie, and novelty piano. In high school, I accompanied my school’s young women’s vocal jazz ensemble and sang in the mixed jazz ensemble. It wasn’t until college that I fell in love with classical repertoire. In 2020 I earned my certificate in teaching beginning piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music. From 2021-2024 I studied piano with Amie Belisle.
As a singer-songwriter, I have performed for diverse audiences across the US, Europe, and Japan. I've had the honor of visiting high schools in both the US and Japan to perform in classrooms and answer students' questions about songwriting, recording, and music business.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies from the University of Oregon, with a minor in French and a strong focus on Queer Studies. I’m also an avid birder.
2026 RATES
$150/lesson
Contact
Email: hello@sparkbirdmusic.com
Pronouns: they/them