Randolph Scherp

I have been teaching classical piano for thirty years. I believe in solid foundations. Playing with a free arm and wrist and touching the keys in right way are all essential for expressive playing and mastery. For this there are exercises, which include scales and arpeggios. I have experience with the RCM and ABRSM (Royal Concervatory of Music; Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music) curriculum and examinations, and have also prepared students for recitals and competitions.

In terms of repertoire, I believe in a balance of what I as a teacher deem to be particularly useful for the student, and what the student would like to play. In the end students are already musicians in their own right and I see myself as a facilitator of their talent and ambitions.

My point of departure is not so much modern methodology as the classical manner of teaching and learning from Mozart's and Beethoven's time, and I a draw on books such as Dussek-Pleyel's Methode from about 1797 and Hummel's Klavierschule from 1828.

I can also help with playing by ear and with arranging pop songs, as well as with music theory and history.

I studied the piano with Charles Asche in Santa Barbara, CA, George Walker in Montclair, NJ, and Hans-Dieter Meyer-Moortgat in Germany. My practical experience includes playing for church, the ballet, at weddings and events, in restaurants and hotels. My most prestigious engagement was with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera in 2023, where I played for three stage productions in lieu of an orchestra. Currently I am realising my dream of studying the entire sets of Etudes op.30 and 40 by JB Cramer (1804, 1808) and op.78 by D Steibelt (1809).

If you like I can also teach English and German, as well as writing in these languages. I wrote countless papers in college and have helped others with theirs on occasion. I attended school in Germany and most of my historical and cultural reading has been in German. Writing a good paper requires finding the right question or thesis, developing and supporting it coherently and convincingly. and supplying adequate citations and footnotes.

Like anything else and an artist needs time to become and grow. You may have a vision for yourself, or a particular challenge for which you would like to prepare. My purpose is to help you realise what you have set out to do, all the while grounding you in solid skills and understanding, as well as building your sense of judgment and aesthetics. If all you want is an introduction into playing piano, or again wish to develop comprehensive skills systematically, I can help just the same.