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Enjoy learning in creative exploration of music or statistics.
Tom B.

5.0 (345 ratings)

1,217 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $35
Contact Tom
Response time: 54 minutes
Tom B.'s Photo

Enjoy learning in creative exploration of music or statistics.
Enjoy learning in creative exploration of music or statistics.
Tom B.

5.0 (345 ratings)

1,217 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
5.0 (345 ratings)

1,217 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Tom

Bio

Until the age of 12, when I was not occupied with schoolwork, I rode my bicycle to the nearest rivers and creeks to search for frogs and turtles, I visited the library and read all I could find on the habits and habitat of these and other creatures native to Southeastern Wisconsin. Some of that must have rubbed off on my son who is a botanist at the Morton Arboretum. When I was in seventh grade, a boys choir was started at the grade school I attended and so began my lifelong love of...

Until the age of 12, when I was not occupied with schoolwork, I rode my bicycle to the nearest rivers and creeks to search for frogs and turtles, I visited the library and read all I could find on the habits and habitat of these and other creatures native to Southeastern Wisconsin. Some of that must have rubbed off on my son who is a botanist at the Morton Arboretum. When I was in seventh grade, a boys choir was started at the grade school I attended and so began my lifelong love of music, especially singing and playing piano. I began to study piano and organ in high school. After I graduated from college in 1969, for five years I taught music in a primary school for children from kindergarten through grade 5. During this time I studied two summers at the Dalcroze School of Music in New York City where I became certified to teach the approach to music education developed by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. His approach includes special activities in rhythmic movement , ear training, and musical improvisation. Since the Dalcroze movement activities are an excellent way for dancers to learn about music, I taught Dalcroze Eurhythmics for four years in the Dance Department of the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee. I obtained my PhD in music education at the University of Kentucky in 1990. My dissertation was titled "Key-finding, fingering, and timing tasks in entry-level piano performance of children". My minor was in statistics because I wanted to do research in the psychology of musical learning and since 1996 I have made my living as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry. When I left Lexington, Kentucky in 1998, I left about 40 piano students, many of whom I had taught from pre-school to high school. I still correspond with some and one, who is now an adult and an accomplished guitarist, recently took several months of voice lessons with me via Skype so that he could feel more confident in singing with his rock and roll band.

Looking to the future I expect to transition gradually from ful

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Education

Carroll University, Waukesha, WI
organ, voice
The University of Kentucky
PhD

Policies

  • Tutor’s lessons: In-person
  • Hourly Rate: $35
  • Travel policy: Within 20 miles of Island Lake, IL 60042
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • No background check

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Corporate Training

Statistics

Statistics

My minor course of studies for my PhD was in statistics and have helped several students to analyze the data they collected for their master degree. Recently I helpe some do her PhD dissertation. Since 1996 I have been working as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Homeschool

Piano,

Piano

I have a PhD in Music Education and my dissertation was on a topic in piano pedagogy: Key-Finding, Fingering, and Timing Tasks in Entry-level Piano Performance of Children. In July of 2015 at Dalcroze conferences in Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria, I made presentations about plans for a new piano pedagogy research project. This summer I'm giving a workshop at Laval University in Quebec City with a focus on using improvisation activities in learning to play Kabalevsky's Galop, Op. 39, No 18. In the years since 1984 I have taught as many as 50 students per year - students age 3 years through 80 years.
Statistics

Statistics

My minor course of studies for my PhD was in statistics and have helped several students to analyze the data they collected for their master degree. Recently I helpe some do her PhD dissertation. Since 1996 I have been working as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Math

Statistics

Statistics

My minor course of studies for my PhD was in statistics and have helped several students to analyze the data they collected for their master degree. Recently I helpe some do her PhD dissertation. Since 1996 I have been working as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Most Popular

Piano,

Piano

I have a PhD in Music Education and my dissertation was on a topic in piano pedagogy: Key-Finding, Fingering, and Timing Tasks in Entry-level Piano Performance of Children. In July of 2015 at Dalcroze conferences in Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria, I made presentations about plans for a new piano pedagogy research project. This summer I'm giving a workshop at Laval University in Quebec City with a focus on using improvisation activities in learning to play Kabalevsky's Galop, Op. 39, No 18. In the years since 1984 I have taught as many as 50 students per year - students age 3 years through 80 years.
Statistics

Statistics

My minor course of studies for my PhD was in statistics and have helped several students to analyze the data they collected for their master degree. Recently I helpe some do her PhD dissertation. Since 1996 I have been working as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Music

General Music,

General Music

My undergraduate degree from Carroll University (1969) included a double major in organ and voice. I taught K-5 music in the Grafton, Wisconsin Public Schools from1969 to 1974. In 1972 I became Certified to teach the Dalcroze approach to music education. I taught music in a Dalcroze Eurhythmics course for the Dance Department of the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee from 1972 to 1976. I obtained my PhD in Music Education in 1990 where I taught classes on Music for Classroom Teachers, Music Theory for non-majors in music, and Freshman and Sophomore Aural Theory. I have sung with the Chicago Master Singers since 2001 and have made presentations at the International Conference of Dalcroze Studies in 2013, 2015, and will do so this summer (2017).
Piano,

Piano

I have a PhD in Music Education and my dissertation was on a topic in piano pedagogy: Key-Finding, Fingering, and Timing Tasks in Entry-level Piano Performance of Children. In July of 2015 at Dalcroze conferences in Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria, I made presentations about plans for a new piano pedagogy research project. This summer I'm giving a workshop at Laval University in Quebec City with a focus on using improvisation activities in learning to play Kabalevsky's Galop, Op. 39, No 18. In the years since 1984 I have taught as many as 50 students per year - students age 3 years through 80 years.
Sight Singing,

Sight Singing

I have taught the freshman and sophomore aural theory courses at the University of Kentucky where I got my PhD in music education. Sight singing was part of the aural theory curriculum. I am certified to teach the Dalcroze approach to ear training which includes sight singing. When I taught K-5 public school music, the Kodaly method of learning to sight sing was part of the curriculum and I taught this method for five years. When I was teaching at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, an adult student came to me who said she was tone deaf and could I help her to learn to sing. In a couple of months time she was able to sing simple songs on pitch. This might not seem relevant to sight singing, but one cannot assume that everyone who is interested in learning to sing at sight can actually sing in tune. Sight singing is part of the audition process for the Chicago Master Singers. I have been a member of this chorus for 15 years. The director complimented my sight singing - he said I sang the selection like someone who had sung the piece for his whole life.
Voice (Music),

Voice (Music)

I have a PhD in Music Education (1990, University of Kentucky). In 2011 I obtained Vocology Certification from the National Center for Voice and Speech. I attended Richard Miller's Oberlin College summer course in vocal pedagogy from 1999 through 2003. I have taken singing lessons in Rome, Italy with Valerio Paperi since 2001. I currently study with William Powers and I sing with Chicago Master Singers. I am a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and I adjudicate Student Auditions for NATS for College and High School Students in Classical Singing and Musical Theater.
Music Theory

Summer

Piano,

Piano

I have a PhD in Music Education and my dissertation was on a topic in piano pedagogy: Key-Finding, Fingering, and Timing Tasks in Entry-level Piano Performance of Children. In July of 2015 at Dalcroze conferences in Geneva, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria, I made presentations about plans for a new piano pedagogy research project. This summer I'm giving a workshop at Laval University in Quebec City with a focus on using improvisation activities in learning to play Kabalevsky's Galop, Op. 39, No 18. In the years since 1984 I have taught as many as 50 students per year - students age 3 years through 80 years.
Statistics

Statistics

My minor course of studies for my PhD was in statistics and have helped several students to analyze the data they collected for their master degree. Recently I helpe some do her PhD dissertation. Since 1996 I have been working as a statistical programmer in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (345 ratings)
5 star
(334)
4 star
(9)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(1)

Reviews

Wonderful experience!

Tom has been an absolutely amazing piano teacher for my son. This experience has been even better than we had hoped for. He certainly has found a way to make learning fun for children. Highly recommend.

Jamie, 9 lessons with Tom

How did we luck out with such a wonderful teacher!?

Tom is an amazing piano teacher. He has been teaching our 8 year old daughter for about 5 months now and our daughter loves him and playing piano! He is patient, beyond knowledgeable, creative, innovative and fun! He always finds ways to incorporate our daughters personal interests into the music lesson so that she becomes more engaged and the lesson sticks! Thank you Tom for teaching our daughter and for your extra efforts- we notice and more than appreciate!

Shannon, 41 lessons with Tom

Fantastic Teacher

Tom is a very friendly and kind person. He teaches excellent exercises for technique, improvising, and music notation reading. He is very dedicated to his students, always preparing and organizing new things for each lesson. Thanks.

Mary, 11 lessons with Tom

Simply excellent

Thank you for all the patience and keeping my daughters engaged in learning music and the piano. My daughters look forward to when you come and learning new songs.

Esmeralda, 31 lessons with Tom

Tom is incredible!

My kids love their lessons with Tom! They're learning and having fun at the same time. Tom is patient and creative in the way he teaches, the first lesson was enough to get the kids hooked.

Amir, 31 lessons with Tom

very patient and efficient teacher

He’s been very professional and patient with my 2 daughters. We’re excited to see their development and hope to see them play their own songs soon! We love having Tom as our piano teacher

Noel, 31 lessons with Tom

Tom is very professional

Tom is a great piano teacher. He works really well with my kids, teaching them how to play the piano and general music concepts. My kids look forward to their lessons with Tom.

Victor, 121 lessons with Tom

Great Teacher

Tom is a great piano teacher. He works really well with my daughters, teaching them how to play the piano and general music concepts. His lessons are diverse and interactive. Best of all, my girls are excited for every lesson and to practice and show me what they learned.

Rachel, 121 lessons with Tom

Wonderful teacher!

Tom is wonderful with my five-year-old son. My son looks forward to his lessons with Tom. He's amazing with children and teaching the piano. We feel very fortunate to have found Tom!

Ben, 131 lessons with Tom

Research

He helped me to organize my ideas and he made it clear. He is a great tutor. In addition, he helped me to read the articles and understand the main information in the articles.

Memo, 6 lessons with Tom
Hourly Rate: $35
Response time: 54 minutes
Contact Tom