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Professional Pianist & Berklee Grad Teaching Piano & Theory
Zachary S.

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About Zachary

Bio

I'm a pianist, composer, and music theory instructor with a degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music, where I also worked as a Core Music Tutor helping fellow students strengthen their musicianship and theory skills. Alongside teaching, I've worked professionally as a pianist for musical productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Anastasia, and Catch Me If You Can, and I composed and performed the original score for the award-winning short film Only the Dead.

I've been teaching...

I'm a pianist, composer, and music theory instructor with a degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music, where I also worked as a Core Music Tutor helping fellow students strengthen their musicianship and theory skills. Alongside teaching, I've worked professionally as a pianist for musical productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Anastasia, and Catch Me If You Can, and I composed and performed the original score for the award-winning short film Only the Dead.

I've been teaching piano, music theory, and composition privately for six years, working one-on-one with students ranging from young children to adults, spanning complete beginners through advanced players. My own path as a musician shapes how I teach: I started with traditional lessons but stepped away from formal instruction around age 11 to teach myself by ear, absorbing everything from film scores to video game music to Broadway songs. Because of that, I'm equally comfortable teaching in a traditional, book-based way and in a more intuitive, ear-first way that connects theory to sound rather than memorization, and I tailor each lesson to how the student in front of me actually learns best.

Whether a student wants classical technique, help writing their own music, or simply wants to play the songs they love, my goal is for lessons to feel like a highlight of their week rather than an obligation!

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Education

Berklee College of Music
Film Scoring

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Composition (Music)

Composition (Music)

I hold a degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music, and I composed and performed the original score for the award-winning short film Only the Dead, giving me hands-on experience writing music that serves a specific creative and emotional purpose. I approach teaching composition the same way I approach performance: grounded in music theory, but always connected back to the sound and feeling a student is trying to create, not abstract rules for their own sake. I work with students writing in a range of styles, from classical and jazz-influenced pieces to film-style scoring and original songs, and I tailor lessons to whatever a student is actually trying to write. Because I also teach ear training and theory, I can help composition students develop both the technical tools and the intuitive ear needed to write music that sounds the way they want it to.
Ear Training

Ear Training

My own relationship with ear training goes back to childhood: after starting with traditional piano lessons, I stepped away from formal instruction around age 11 and taught myself to play by absorbing film scores, video game music, and Broadway songs entirely by ear. That experience became the foundation of how I teach today, and I specialize in helping students develop the ability to hear intervals, chords, and progressions and connect what they hear to what they play, rather than relying solely on sheet music. I work with students of all ages and levels, using exercises like playing melodies and chord progressions by ear, transcribing simple passages, and identifying harmonic patterns in songs they already know. Ear training pairs naturally with the music theory and composition lessons I also teach, since understanding why music sounds the way it does makes the ear-training process faster and more intuitive.
Music Theory

Music Theory

I hold a degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music, where rigorous coursework in theory and orchestration was central to my training, and I also served as a Core Music Tutor helping fellow students strengthen their theory skills. Over six years of teaching, I've found that most students learn theory best when it's connected directly to the music they're playing or writing, so I emphasize ear training and an intuitive understanding of how music works rather than just memorization of rules. I work with students at every level, from beginners learning basic notation and intervals to advanced students studying harmony, orchestration, and composition for contexts like film scoring. My goal is always to make theory feel like a tool that unlocks better playing and writing, not an abstract subject disconnected from the music itself.
Piano

Piano

I've been playing piano for 22 years and have spent six of those years teaching students of all ages and skill levels, from complete beginners to advanced players. Alongside teaching, I've worked professionally as a pianist for musical productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Anastasia, and Catch Me If You Can, which keeps my own playing sharp and informs how I coach technique and musicality. I teach across classical, jazz, and pop styles, and I'm equally comfortable with a traditional, book-based approach or a more intuitive, ear-first method, since I largely taught myself by ear after starting with formal lessons as a child. Every student learns differently, so I tailor lessons to their specific goals, whether that's building strong technique, learning a favorite song, or developing the skills to play by ear.
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