Peter C.

Four years at Lexington High School in Lexington, MA under the instruction of Brian O'Connell, during which I was involved in between three and five vocal ensembles at once. Two semesters at Harvard Extension School in Cambridge, MA studying Grammar, Psychology, and the Psychology of Creativity.

Ten years of private instruction of classical piano and music theory under Lydia Reed-Guertin in Lexington, MA. Four years of choral instruction under Brian O'Connell. Vocal ensembles ranged in size and repertoire; anywhere between four and sixty members, singing everything from Simon & Garfunkel to Handel's Messiah. Skills include arranging for SATB and TTBB choirs, singing unaccompanied (a cappella) and with accompaniment, performance in chamber choir settings. Self-taught guitar, electric and acoustic bass, mandolin, and digital audio processing. Skills include sampling, sequencing, MIDI implementation with software and hardware synthesizers, mixing and mastering, vocal processing, and instrument recording techniques. Self-taught DJ.

Vocal performances include regional and statewide competitions, seasonal recitals at the historic Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA, performances at graduations, seasonal Christmas caroling, and in one instance, a benefit charity trip to Costa Rica. DJ performances include New York's Webster Hall, Boston's Middle East Nightclub, Los Angeles' Standard Hotel, Toronto's Digital Dreams Festival, and Miami's WMC. Production and writing credits include, most notably, the legendary DJ Shadow and seminole MC from UGK, Bun B.

As an informal instructor, I've never adhered to uniform lesson plans, since most of my "students" have been friends, family, or my peers in the production/songwriting world. That being said, I've devised targeted lesson plans geared towards students' specific goals, whether that involves learning modal interchange, chord structure, the use of polyrhythms, or simple scale structure. My approach is this way because my goal isn't to go over information that students may already know, but rather to highlight new information that students may immediately implement into their own performance or musical endeavors. In fact, my goal is for students to not only use the techniques I've taught, but to understand them on a deeper level, in order for them to be used with ease.