Piano Lessons
for Pro Musicians & Dedicated Students
With Dan Fogel, Pianist
♪Do you want to take your playing to a whole new level?
Whether beginner or pro, send me an email through my contact form
if you'd consider coming to my studio (Setauket / Stony Brook)
for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
I also offer FaceTime / Skype lessons.
If you're intrigued, I'd love to hear from you!
Please include your cell & good time to reach you.
I cover a wide range of possible students & goals.
Here's a little about me. I'm classically trained, have been teaching over 20 years,
& regularly perform as a concert / cocktail pianist.
You may hear some recordings of my students in the player below,
or facebook.com/pianolessonswithdan for many more past live streams
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As an instructor, I dedicate myself to my students and make efforts
to go above and beyond in quality, helping students to learn what they love,
find personal meaning for music in their lives,
understand how to learn on their own,
& optionally prepare for a variety of public performances (up to 5 opportunities per month!)
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I follow a constructionist / humanistic teaching approach:
in which I teach the 'person' as much as the subject matter,
helping the student to grow through their own personal understanding,
rather than a didactic approach of only giving commands.
The wide range of students I teach include:
1) Music Educators, including piano teachers,
who wish to become more proficient or adept at piano,
or improve their own teaching!
2) High achievers of all levels
3) Advanced students looking to switch teachers
4) Intermediate & Elementary students
5) Complete beginners of all ages, who are willing to dedicate time each day to the piano,
even if only for an initial trial period
to see if they like it enough to make a regular commitment
6) Adults who want to reconnect with piano after decades away from it
7) Professional musicians
8) Undergraduate music majors
9) Self-taught pianists
10) Students with special needs and talents.
You can learn virtually any style, ranging from:
Classical: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Expressionistic,
RagTime, Contemporary,
New Age, Nostalgic / Sentimental
Show Tunes, Standards, Jazz, Blues,
Themes from Video Games / Anime / TV / Movies
Cultural Folk Tunes, Improvisation, Holiday,
Popular from any decade
I've taught students aged 3 to 83!
My only requirements are you having a positive attitude, putting in time to practice,
and making consistent progress
Lessons of any length vary in frequency from:
1) once per week
2) two or more lessons per week
3) or in special circumstances: less frequently
I usually teach in my home/studio in Setauket, but also travel locally to students' homes,
and have taught online via Facetime/Skype,and videoconferencing software
through which students may receive live & or pre-recorded instruction.
I strive to help all students improve practice efficacy, technique, artistry, & overall musicianship.
The diversity of individualized lesson goals include,
listed below in order from more intense to less:
1) Becoming a professional pianist / instructor, or a higher quality performer / teacher Preparing for any combination of:
2) College or graduate auditions or recordings (I have prepared students to attend and graduate as music majors at Ithaca, Fredonia, Stony Brook, Hofstra, & SCCC.
(A former student whom I taught starting from a beginner's method book up through
advanced repertoire was invited to join Juilliard as a doctoral music composition student)
3) Concerto competition auditions (My high school student got to both perform as the featured soloist with his school orchestra, and with the Stony Brook University Orchestra)
4) Your own full-length solo, duo, or senior recital
5) Piano competitions (Several of my students compete annually at a competition at Steinway Piano Gallery. I have had several students win 1st place and cash prizes,
ranging from elementary to late advanced divisions.
6) Professional performances at weddings, anniversaries, & other formal events
7) Playing for your own holiday gathering or dinner party
8) NYSSMA, National Piano Guild, ABRSM,
& or Royal Conservatory of Music festivals / adjudications
Several of my students have been selected to perform at the
NYSSMA All-State Conference Piano Showcase in Rochester.
I've judged for NYSSMA and been asked to apply to be a Piano Guild adjudicator.
9) Recital performances at Staller Center, Steinway Gallery,
Faust Harrison Pianos, and or private residences,
as well as being featured at school assemblies or accompanying your choir
10) Performing in a library lobbies, the middle of shopping malls, ballet classes, art galleries, or family gatherings
11) Senior living and hospital volunteer performances Students may wish to perform in the more traditional avenues listed above, or may take a more creative avenue, such as:
12) Multi-media opportunities of combining music with other creative outlets,
such as poetry, dance, visual arts, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
13) Collaborating with other musicians & friends,
such as playing in a band or forming a music duo
14) Only performing in service of others rather than being in the spotlight - such as volunteering, playing in benefit concerts, & creating musical gifts for friends and relatives
15) Or learning just for one's own personal fulfillment, (only performing for oneself with no one else in the room) Depending on each student's individual needs and interests,
we may also work on theory, ear-playing, improvisation, composition, sight-singing,
overcoming stage-fright, and or fostering a healthy mindset.
I have taught many students with special needs, as well as geniuses who need someone to help them achieve their potential, and mostly those in between.
For young children, I mix fun games, imaginative creative learning, stuffed animals, prizes,
and positive work habits to set them on the path to loving the piano and being great at it
I love facilitating student potential and discovery!
Please see the benefits of joining my studio below, & testimonials below that!
Check out my Facebook teaching page
to see some of the frequent student volunteer & recital performances.
Benefits of Joining my Studio
For No Extra Cost:
• Monthly Organized Performance Opportunities at:
o Monthly Meetups (Pianists, Singers, & Musicians of All Levels)
o Senior Living Facilities
o Library Lobbies
o Hospital Performances, often organized by students
• Occasionally:
o shopping malls, art galleries, dance studios, school concerts,
open mics, & dinner parties
o Annual end-of-school-year studio recital and multicultural potluck feast
o Adult, 21-and-over socials
(wine & cheese, various adult students from around Suffolk county)
• Access to my library of tens of thousands of sheet music books to look through, hear, borrow, and or purchase
• Being able to reach out to me via phone, email, or text throughout the week, for no extra charge
• Extra time extending some of your lessons, on-the-house
• Skills you will develop, depending on your individualized lesson goals:
o Technique to tackle ANY technical problem that your hands will allow
o Learning to improve sight-reading ability progressively for life,
becoming a highly proficient reader
o Memorization of large amounts of repertoire
o Playing by ear, without needing sheet music
o Improvisation, in any style, as well as how to compose
o Learning to play with artistry, sensitivity, stylistic interpretation,
excitement, and a beautiful touch
o Effective practice skills
o Strategies for overcoming stage fright
o Being able to learn simple but increasingly demanding music on your own
o How to move at the piano without injury,
and how to play with increasingly less effort
o Theoretical knowledge & understanding
o Being able to accompany yourself when you sing, or play for other vocalists / instrumentalists
• Recordings of exciting repertoire to listen to and borrow
• Guidance on dozens of free, useful apps
on your iPad, iPhone, or other smart devices
• Option for FaceTime, Skype, or other video conferencing lessons
when traveling is inconvenient because inclement weather or a cold
• Preparation for earning Outstanding, if not perfect scores, on NYSSMA,
Piano Guild & Royal Conservatory of Music auditions
• Preparation for preparing large programs of music
to play for self-fulfillment, for others, and in public
• Resources for free recordings, sheet music, and learning tools
• Duet accompanying by me during our lesson,
and at public piano performances listed above
• Use of digital piano with headphones for other family members
during the lesson, or to learn about how to use hundreds of instruments
Included with registration (Memberships Covered by Dan):
(additional fees vary for optional
individualized student registrations / subscriptions / app purchases)
o Access to National Piano Guild auditions & SPTF recitals
o Access to apps, websites, & services that Dan subscribes to for his studio,
most of which are free for students to use at home
(Piano Maestro, Scribd, Quizlet, Sight Reading Factory, IMSLP, ...)
o Special workshop opportunities
o Benefits of Dan's increased expertise from his continued education at
international piano seminars
o Opportunity to perform & compete in annual competitions
o Eligibility to be nominated to represent Dan's studio
at an annual Honors Recital, in the World Class Staller Center Recital Hall
o Opportunities to Perform at up-to 6 annual public recitals -
including the 2 above, and also at Steinway Piano Gallery,
Faust Harrison Pianos, Sachem Library, & other venues -
featuring students of over a dozen teachers throughout Suffolk County
Paid Benefits:
• Optional prize incentives for quality practice and achievements in lesson focus/participation ( See Some Prizes )
• Printing/hole-punching/cutting/taping all of your practice binder materials
($15/year)