Award-winning musician, Princeton Graduate, experienced teacher - all levels - piano and/or voice - Jazz, Classical, Contemporary - Theory, Improvisation, Professional Development!

Find out more about Anson

• 1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  I've been singing for as long as I can remember. I loved to sing and make up little songs, and my parents found a children's choir that I sang in until I was old enough for the school choir. As for piano, I started with classical lessons, and a few years later I started taking lessons with a wonderful blues player who introduced me to improvisation, harmony, and the joys of songwriting! So many amazing teachers have showed me new ways to engage with music over the years, and I am still discovering new musical passions every day.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Yes! Many - I won't ever tire of the jazz greats, especially Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Bill Evans, Etta James, John Coltrane, and Kenny Wheeler. I also have a real soft spot for David Bowie!

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  My favorite courses to give are about developing your own authentic voice. We can learn so many fascinating things about theory and technique, but at the end of the day, they are tools that we use to say something about ourselves. Especially for singers, it's easy to want to copy how other voices sound, but each of us has a unique instrument, just like when we speak. It's the hardest lesson to learn, and the most rewarding!

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I have to imagine that the bagpipes are gnarly to master. Or maybe the musical saw.

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  Routine, humility, and curiosity.
  
  Routine: Learning anything requires repetition. The fastest way to master a new scale or piece is to repeat parts of it until you really understand them, and building practice time into your daily life is the only way to make sure that your brain is digesting the information as well as possible.
  
  Humility: Learning something doesn't happen all at once - you learn little pieces over and over again, and eventually over time a concept will stick. That means that a huge part of learning is failure, and we have to embrace those moments instead of getting frustrated.
  
  Curiosity: The best way to learn is to pay attention - whether that's noticing the chords to a song you like on the radio, playing with new ways to interpret a piece, or discovering new music that you love. If you're always open to new information, learning feels SO natural.

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  I would love to be in a room with Joni Mitchell, Tito Puente, and Giacomo Puccini. A master of lyrics, a master of rhythm, and a master of melody! I can't begin to imagine the things the three would have to say to each other.

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  In high school, I did a summer music program where we played in jazz combos with a teacher guiding us. At this time, I was getting really interested in harmony and complicated chord changes - like doing a music theory puzzle in real time. One week, I was getting frustrated - I was anxious about making mistakes and overthinking the individual notes I was playing. The teacher watched me getting more and more frustrated and finally he got the whole combo to get up and dance to the song that we were learning - stomping and clapping to the beat, singing the melody. Once I started feeling the rhythm of the song, the natural way that the chords fell, the weight and the rise and the fall of the melody, the harmony clicked as well. I had been so focused on the details that I lost sight of the whole picture! Of course, there's a time to dive deep on a topic, but all the elements of music work together in the end.

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I work with my students on the music that speaks to them and feels the most natural to their ears. Music is like a language, and it's easiest to learn when you're saying something you care about!