Fabrice Muller

20+ yrs teaching, Prof. of Organ and Skillship*, concert organist, graduate diplomas from Eastman and French conservatories, highest certification for teaching music in France, instructor in music pedagogy... I love sharing my passion in ways that are meaningful and tailored to my students. Helping them—helping You!—simply is my beloved job. Yes, music and teaching are my passion. I am both a performer (organist) and a music conservatory professor in France. And in case you wonder: yes, I am French.

*Skillship Q and A
What is skillship? Skillship is a fantastic, holistic French-style approach to note reading, ear training, and rhythm training; it combines elements of music theory with practical applications. My approach is “brain-friendly” and makes the connection between skills and performance.
Are sight reading and sight singing part of skills you develop in skillship? Absolutely.
Is skillship for beginners? Definitely. I believe that it is the best holistic approach to start learning music, and that it holds the necessary keys for growth in playing an instrument or even learning composition.
Is skillship a kind of ear training? It sure is. Actually, I would even say that skillship is a close cousin to the late Mary Anthony Cox's style of ear training, both being rooted in the same tradition of French ear training. Mary Anthony Cox taught at Juilliard from 1964–2013.
Is skillship for precollege or undergraduate students? Skillship is for everyone! I teach these skills all the way from beginners to a very high graduate level. Indeed, even at the graduate level you want to be equipped with the skills to overcome any difficulty, even when facing a very difficult score.
What about Roman numeral analysis? Roman numeral analysis certainly is part of skillship, and I don’t see this as a math-with-notes exercise. Quite the contrary! It can actually be used as a fantastic and very accessible tool for singing better.
Is there anything else you learn in skillship? Among other things not detailed here, you also learn some music morphology. Knowing the basic form of a piece (or an excerpt) will help you hear/understand it better in order to perform it better.

How can I help you? (All levels: from beginners to graduate students and professionals. All ages.)

Click lesson titles to learn more.

- One-on-one lessons

• Organ

• How Do You Really Develop Your Ear?

• Beautiful Rhythm: Precise and Expressive, Clear in Mind and Body, Ruled by Ear

• Now I Will Sing in Tune, Too!

• Skillship (tailored to individual needs)

• You name it! (mastering the rhythm of a specific piece, hearing all the voices in a fugue, improving at dictation, etc.)

• Skillship pedagogy

- Lessonfest FREE EVENT

• Keys to Listening to Music . . . In a French Way

- Group lesson

• Beautiful Rhythm: Precise and Expressive, Clear in Mind and Body, Ruled by Ear

• Now I Will Sing in Tune, Too!

- FREE self-paced course

• How to Practice Music Well, Summarized

About organ lessons

Want help on your learning journey? How to be more expressive? How to play faster? What about rhythm? What is healthy technique? What about early music? Bach? French Classical music?...

Who am I welcoming? You! Yes, whatever your age/level.

About training your ear so you can listen to multiple voices at once

Listening to multiple voices at once certainly is one of the most rewarding skills a musician can have. And, no, this is not only for those who are born with this gift: you can acquire it, as I did.

You already know music is beautiful, even if you listen without being able to precisely differentiate the various layers of sound. I was like that a couple of years ago. (Well, given my gray hair, it must actually be many years ago.)

Let me tell you: being able to listen to multiple voices at once has brought me so much joy. Music advanced from being beautiful to absolutely wonderful!

When you can precisely follow the various voices, you become aware of all the notes being played—as if some nice new lights were shining on the music.

Not only can you enjoy the music more but as you play, you can also now shape all the voices in the best possible way. For example, if you play a duet you can be sensitive to the way the other musician plays, musically responding to his or her interpretation.

For a musician, that is a life-changing experience, a “must!”

Listening to multiple voices at once can be learned in steps, slowly but surely. Now, when I say "slowly but surely," I talk about mastery. But if we are talking about being able to listen for the first time to an additional note, this is usually quite quick (I'd say one lesson, two weeks at most).

So, what can this process entail?

It can include harmonic intervals, recognizing chords, discriminating notes within a four-voice chord or aggregate (that is, hearing the precise voicing of an isolated chord), learning to listen to counterpoint precisely . . . you name it. What we would work on should be based on where you are and what you would like to achieve. Anything is possible. Let's talk about it and get started!

You may want to know . . .

Even beyond my credentials (described later in "Credentials and Affiliations"), I believe my best qualification as an educator is this: being able to understand students to help them progress.

My students often tell me I am very patient.

I'd rather say I am understanding and straightforward.

Actually, please know that I am also demanding. :) While I can certainly understand all your difficulties (and it thrills me to find a solution when a student seems stuck), I am not interested in students who don't want to try their best.

If after reading this you are still interested, please drop me a line. I am here to share my passion with you!

Sincerely,

Your prof.

My approach to teaching is not dogmatic. Rather, it is pragmatic, empirical, and based on neurosciences (when possible). I don't choose teaching tools based on traditions or trends, but I choose methods (old or new) when they work for the student(s) in front of me.