Piano Lessons with Michael Clark
I’m passionate about teaching and consider it a craft in itself. My extensive training—a master’s degree in pedagogy from the University of Houston, the Certificate in Teaching and Learning from Rice University, and national certification from Music Teachers National Association—and over a decade of experience enable me to help students of all ages reach their musical goals.
I teach from my faculty studio at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in person and online. Lessons are available in three lengths (30, 45, or 60 minutes) and enrollment is by term (fall, spring or summer). Please contact me to learn more about tuition rates, studio policies, and to set up a free meet-and-greet.
Clark Studio Recital | Winter 2022
Student Achievements
Competitions
Forum MTA Jazz Competition 2022 | Kawai Piano Gallery
1st Place, 1st Grade: Matthan Y.
2nd Place, 1st Grade: Emily B.
Honorable Mention, 3rd Grade: Alex. B
Honorable Mention 4th Grade: Cass A.
Honorable Mention 6th Grade: Tate A.
3rd Place, 8th Grade: Bowen K.
3rd Place, High School: Talon C.
Honorable Mention, High School: Cole A.
Forum MTA Jazz Competition 2021 | University of Houston
Honorable Mention, 5th Grade: Tate A.
2nd Place, 8th Grade: Talon C.
3rd Place, 8th Grade: Cole A.
Forum MTA Jazz Competition 2020 | University of Houston
Honorable Mention, 2nd Grade: Cass A.
1st Place, 7th Grade: Talon C.
4th Place, 7th Grade: Cole A.
Olshan Young Artist Competition 2019 | University of Houston
Honorable Mention, Division I: Cass A.
Honorable Mention, Division II: Tate A.
1st Place, Division II: Cole A.
Forum MTA Jazz Competition 2019 | University of Houston
Honorable Mention, 1st Grade: Cass A.
Honorable Mention, 5th Grade: Kevin G.
Honorable Mention, Middle School: Cole A., Talon C.
Olshan Young Artist Competition 2018 | University of Houston
3rd Place, Division I: Cass A.
Olshan Young Artist Competition 2017 | University of Houston
3rd Place, Division I: Tate A.
Honorable Mention, Division I: Cole A.
Honorable Mention, Division II: Chileil C.
Festivals
Forum Festivities 2022 | Kawai Piano Gallery
“Superior”: Emily B., Lyana Y., Matthan Y., Talon C.
“Excellent”: Albert S., Alex B., Tairkhan T., Tate A.
Forum MTA Auditions 2021 | University of Houston
I+ rating: Emily B., Lyana Y.
I rating: Tate A., Alex B., Talon C., Bowen K., Matthan Y.
Forum MTA Auditions 2020 | University of Houston
I rating: Cass A., Cole A., Tate A., Talon C., Kevin G.
Forum Online Festival 2020
Judge’s Choice Outstanding Beginning Performers (and I+ rating): Alex B., Surya P., Albert S.
I rating: Cass A., Cole A., Tate A., Kevin G., Aini S., Anshita S.
Forum MTA Auditions 2019 | University of Houston
I+ rating: Cass A.
I rating: Tate A., Talon C.
Forum MTA Auditions 2018 | University of Houston
I+ rating: Cass A., Talon C.
I rating: Cole A., Tate A., Kevin G.
Scholarships
Helen & Immanuel B. Olshan Foundation, Inc. Scholarship for Young Musicians | UH Community Arts Academy)
2018–2019: Cass A., Cole A., Tate A.
2017–2018: Cole A., Tate A.
Teaching Philosophy
My primary goal in piano teaching is to foster a lifelong love of music and music-making in my students. Though I tailor my teaching to help each student reach his or her goals, I believe all students need to build:
a musical ear
a healthy technique
music reading fluency
effective practice habits
Students learn these skills best through teacher modeling and discovery, which is why I prioritize a learning sequence of “sound–feel–sign–name.”
A Musical Ear
Developing a musical ear can begin from a young age and starts with simply listening. From the earliest lessons, my students and I sing together, move to a steady beat, and compare different types of sounds. My students always listen to the pieces they will learn before they begin to practice them. Drawing from the “sound–feel–sign–name” sequence, I teach new concepts aurally first, demonstrating new rhythms and singing new intervals for students before they need to read them. I constantly model musical phrase shapes vocally and at the keyboard, allowing the student to listen and choose from several options. I make a point to connect how the stress of the text matches our musical shaping. I also incorporate rote teaching alongside traditional methods to help students to explore sounds and tonalities that are too complicated to read at this level.
A Healthy Technique
Michael and students after a recital in May 2018
In order to create the sounds their musical ears imagine, students need a technique that is healthy, efficient, and serves a musical purpose. I believe that a strong technical foundation should be laid from the very beginning. My studio is equipped to make sure that students can sit at an appropriate height and have a place to rest their feet if the floor is too far away. I use the shape of the hand as it rests by one’s side as the model for hand position. I teach the use of arm weight, starting with non-legato articulation. I then progress to legato articulation, using single and double forearm rotation and in-and-out motions as codified in the Taubman approach. As the student progresses, my technical instruction becomes more personalized and flexible. From the beginning, I connect my technical instruction to musical goals in their repertoire, helping students understand how to create the variations in sound they desire through adjustments in arm weight, rotation, and in-and-out movements. In this way, students gain an awareness of musical shaping—and crucially, the technical motions necessary to produce that shape—from the outset.
Music Reading Competency
As students become immersed in the sound and feel of music, they are soon ready to begin to read it. I use an eclectic reading approaching, teaching landmark notes and emphasizing intervallic relationships. I require students to sight-read daily, usually from a separate book especially for reading. Developing sight-reading fluency helps students become independent learners, prepares them for playing with other musicians in a variety of settings, and opens up a world of music for them to explore throughout their lives.
Effective Practice Habits
Finally, an indispensable part of my job is teaching students to practice effectively. Most of their time is spent outside of lessons, so the time spent in the lesson must prepare them to make meaningful progress throughout the week. I provide a standard set of practice guidelines for each student as well as individualized weekly assignments. In each lesson, we work together on how to practice particular passages. When introducing a new or unusual practice technique, I often record my demonstration so the student will be able to duplicate the technique at home. The crucial task of preparing students for practice supports every other goal I have for my students. In the absence of good practice, progress halts. With it, my students are able to achieve their musical goals and enjoy a life with music, the ultimate fulfillment of my teaching mission.
PRofessional Engagement And Continuing EducatioN
Staying connected with my teaching peers and mentors at the local, state, and national levels energizes and equips me to constantly better myself as a teacher. I also have many opportunities to give back through service.
Local
I currently serve as president of Forum Music Teachers Association, a group of teachers in the greater Houston area who organize recitals, festivals, and competitions for local students. Since 2018, I have chaire the Houston Forum Young Artist Competition, our organization's largest event with ten student divisions performing selected repertoire.
State
As a member of the Executive Board Texas Music Teachers Association since 2019, I work with other leaders across the state to coordinate events for student and teacher enrichment. Since 2020, I have coordinated the Texas state level of the MTNA Performance Competition. I previously served as TMTA Performance Contest Coordinator.
National
I first joined Music Teachers National Association in 2010 and have remained active ever since. I regularly attend the annual conference to energize my teaching with fresh ideas and to nurture relationships with colleagues across the country. I have presented at the MTNA National Conference and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and have published articles in the MTNA e-Journal and Piano Magazine. In 2017 I earned MTNA's professional teaching certification.