|
Studio Overview
My teaching studio, Musical Accents, is
located in Rowlett, Texas. The studio offers
piano lessons to beginning ▪ advanced level
students of all ages. All styles of music
are taught, including: classical, jazz,
rock, blues, country, funk, gospel, and many
other styles. Instruction is also available
to students interested in: Band, Theory,
Composition, MIDI, Notation, Recording,
Beginning Guitar, and Mallet Percussion.
The studio offers lessons to students in
Rowlett, Rockwall, Mesquite, Garland, and
surrounding areas.
Founded by Stephen Hughes in 2004, he has
over 25 years of training & experience in
multiple fields of music. Classically & jazz
trained, along with a degree in business,
Stephen provides the perfect combination of
extraordinary musicianship with a
professional touch. He is a piano teacher,
band teacher, performer, accompanist,
consultant, & composer.
Biography
Stephen Hughes studied classical piano and
music theory from the age of 5 through
college. During his high school years, he
studied with Octavio Guiterrez, masters of
piano performance from UNT. His formal
collegiate musical studies were in piano
performance & music theory, in conjunction
with the University of North Texas music
program. During this time, he studied with
Brad Beckman, who is a world-renowned piano
performer and lecturer of piano pedagogy. He
has also studied jazz piano with Jerry
Samuels, a well-recognized teacher in jazz
piano performance.
Steve is also an accomplished performer &
teacher in other areas of performance: rock,
blues, funk, gospel & various pop piano
styles. He has performed with some of the
top cover/corporate/variety bands in the
Southwest, including Emerald City, Studio
54, Daughter Judy, & Zuzu Pedals.
He has had many great performing
experiences: Touring with jazz ensembles,
performing at the Meyerson, hundreds of
classical/jazz recitals, along with
countless club gigs with bands he helped
formed & manage.
Since 2004, he has dedicated most of his
musical efforts towards teaching. Currently,
he teaches piano/music full-time. He is also
an experienced band/ensemble instructor,
masterclass instructor, and lecturer. As a
lecturer, he has conducted and taught over
20 seminars on various music topics.
Continuing to educate himself in the art of
piano pedagogy and music education is always
a constant and humbling experience. He is
currently a member of MNTA & TMTA &
Vice-President of MAMTA (Mesquite Area Music
Teachers Association).
Philosophy
"I believe students should enjoy lessons and
learn a wide variety of styles & techniques.
My students become educated musicians &
artists who are versatile, skilled, and can
perform in any situation." The philosophy of the studio is to provide
high quality, innovative music instruction
through a carefully planned curriculum that
balances music discipline & fun, using
state-of-the-art technology. The studio is
equipped to teach the casual adult beginner
wanting to play chordal style or the
advanced young student who competes on the
highest level. Once the initial assessment
is completed, each student is placed in a
piano program that best fits their needs.
Here are the music programs available to
students.▪ Traditional Piano
▪ Jazz Piano
▪ Pop Piano
▪ Gospel/Worship Piano
▪ SightReading Concentration
▪ Band Keyboardist
▪ Studio/Session Keyboardist
▪ Music College Prep
▪ Recording 101
▪ MIDI Keyboardist
The Studio
When you walk into the studio, there is a
certain inspiration that fills the air.
Whether you are an aspiring keyboardist in a
rock band, a lover of Chopin, or a Miles
Davis fanatic, you will feel surrounded by
the love of music.
Innovation. Creativity. Technology.
These are the ideas that shaped the building
of my studio & provide a foundation and
groundwork for my teaching philosophies.
The Piano: My
baby grand piano is always kept in tip-top
condition and is regulated once a year to
keep the action precise.
Music Library:
From an assortment of theory & technique
books to Rock Piano Methods to Jazz piano
solos, I have accumulated hundreds of music
textbooks, scores, references, etc over the
years. I also have access to thousands of
music files in .PDF format & backing tracks
for rock, blues, & jazz piano.
Lesson Recordings:
After every lesson, you will receive an
audio recording via email. I personally send
these MP3 files to my students to review
throughout their practice week. There is
also the option of videotaping the lesson,
if the student provides a flashdrive with
enough memory for 30 minutes ▪ 1 hour of
video. At the end of the lesson, I will give
you back your flashdrive. Make sure to dump
the file onto a hard drive so you won't run
out of room.
Professional Recording:
Over the years, I have gained experience as
an engineer, recording many solo & band
tracks. In my studio, I have ProTools 8,
high-quality studio mic, and an ambient room
to make recording a wonderful experience for
the student & teacher. All performance
pieces or any piece finished will be
recorded and each student will build a
repertoire of recorded pieces, just like the
professionals!
20,000+ MP3 Songs!:
Yes, I have a ton of songs. Whether you need
a new piece to work up or a new band to
listen to, my library is yours. Part of
understanding how to play music is gained by
listening to music. The reason you gained an
interest in music is most likely because of
the way a song or piece affected you
emotionally.
 Waiting Area: If
you are a parent or student arriving early
(or staying afterwards), there is a waiting
room available with WiFi Internet access,
reading material, and a practice keyboard to
get your hands warmed up. There is also a
computer workstation, listed below.
Computer Workstation:
In the waiting room, there is a computer
setup with a MIDI keyboard to practice ear
training, learning notes/rhythms, using
Finale, and other things. Training is
provided by the instructor during lesson
time.
|
