Mike Stockalper
About
B.A. in Jazz Piano from the University of California, San Diego
Studied both jazz piano (with 2-time Grammy Award winner Kamau Kenyatta) and classical piano (William Fried, DMA) at UCSD
Cheatham Prize Recipient (most outstanding jazz major 2006)
Owner and Music Teacher at Sunset Music Studio in Encinitas, CA (North County San Diego)
Have taught over 8,000 lessons over 6 year span at Sunset Music
Professional Projects have included: Montalban Quintet, Alaina Blair Band, Tony & the Funky Chonies, DJ Shammy Dee, Mango Melody, Acoustic Brigade, and many one off and solo gigs and recording sessions.
Teaching Style
Recon - I try to ascertain the musical goals of the student
Materials - I provide materials tailored to my students' goals (musical scores, lead sheets, worksheets, informational sheets on theory or technique, etc)
Understanding - first I try to ensure that students understand what they are looking and how to interpret everything
Execution - next I ensure the student understands how to execute the musical topic(s) at hand
Repetition - I ensure the student has a clear roadmap for what to practice, how to practice, and what improvement to expect based on how much they are willing to practice.
Review - In continuing lessons, I go over the material from prior lessons to ensure the student has absorbed the material into their ability as a player and correct any linger errors or issues in their playing and/or understanding
Curriculum
For those interested in studying traditional notation from the beginning, I use the Faber method books (Faber Piano Adventures for Adults).
For jazz, pop, blues, rock, new age, and other popular music I teach people how to navigate lead sheets. This involves interpreting chord symbols and the various ways to realize chord voicings on piano, adding one hand and two hand embellishments, scales and modes that fit with chords (useful for improvisation, arranging, and composition). My students ultimately are able to hold their own in a band setting (jazz, rock, soul, funk, church music, etc) where lead sheets are available for the music. I also help people with transcription and ear-training so they can figure out what's going on when no lead sheet, charts, or written notation are available.
For Jazz students I'd recommend getting a copy of the Real Book (they have a few editions, the first one is a good start).
I provide pdfs of most of the music covered in lessons.
Credentials & Affiliations
B.A. Music (Jazz Piano) from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)