Potluck Creative Arts

04/05/2020

Have you ever dreamed of accompanying yourself at the piano while you sing? This special online learning opportunity is for you! Great for all ages 8-to-adult, even if you’ve never learned to play an instrument before, and even if you don't own an instrument!

In this time of social distancing, I am piloting two differently formatted opportunities to do a Self-Accompaniment for Singers workshop with me, using Simply Music's Ensemble Accompaniment Workshop program. We will meet live online via Zoom videoconferencing. One workshop is for 4 Saturdays starting April 11, the other for 2 Mondays starting April 20. The regular price for these workshops in the future is likely to be at least twice as much, but for these pilot opportunities you’ll pay just $49.00 to participate! For full details on registration and preparation, visit:

https://potluckcreativearts.com/2020/04/self-accompaniment-live-online-workshops/

Please share this with anyone who may be interested, thanks!

Music Lessons, Music Workshops, News Self-Accompaniment for Singers Live Online Pilot Workshops by Mark S. Meritt • April 5, 2020 • 0 Comments Are you a singer who has dreamed of accompanying yourself at the piano while you sing? These special online learning opportunities are for you! Great...

03/19/2020

Feeling cooped-up in quarantine? Craving creativity and connection? I'm starting my Cooped-Up Creativity initiative, featuring all of my offerings that you can take advantage of by online video conference from anywhere in the world, in the comfort of your own home! They can range from anywhere between a single session to an ongoing activity, and I can work with you to customize based on your unique situation. Learn to play the piano, write an original song, do piano karaoke and sing-alongs, and more.

Check out the Cooped-Up Creativity web page at https://potluckcreativearts.com/cooped-up-creativity/ -- and I would be deeply grateful if you would share this post to let others know about these offerings. Thanks!

11/21/2019

Now Accepting New Students!

If you or anyone you know has ever wanted to take piano lessons, I’m expanding my studio to accept several new students — both in-person in New York’s Capital Region and live online from anywhere in the world, for both group and individual lessons.

I teach the Simply Music Piano method, which has students of all ages playing great-sounding contemporary, classical, gospel, blues and accompaniment pieces — immediately — from their very first lessons. I hold Master Teacher status, am New York State’s most experienced teacher of this remarkable method, and am a creator of supplemental content for the method, including a comprehensive improvisation and composition program which has been used by teachers and students around the world for almost 4 years.

Having taught Simply Music for over 11 years after teaching traditional methods for 7 years, I have seen time and again how Simply Music provides a night and day quantum leap in comparison — so much more fast, fun and simple. With the many incredible benefits you’ll get from learning to play a musical instrument, it’s truly one of the best things you can do -- and taking Simply Music Piano lessons with me is one of the best ways you can do it!

Learn more about me at http://songsbyyou.com/about/

Please share this anywhere you think there may be interest, and contact me by PM here on Facebook, by email at [email protected], or at 646.736.2639 if you’d like to learn more!

05/25/2016

I recently wrote about improvising and composing your own music for Simply Music's blog "The Playground," and part 1 of 2 has just been published. Check it out.

improvising

04/29/2015

I hope you'll check out my piano students' annual recital from this past weekend, with videos below in the comments along with a link to my blog post about how even I have been truly astonished by what the method I teach has made possible for my students. To start things off, one of the videos is right here, Tessa and Sophie performing "The Gaz" as a blues duet with the first half fully improvised. These gals rock. Other recital performances included a sing-along "YMCA," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from "Les Miserables" (first video in the comments below), "He's a Pirate" from "Pirates of the Caribbean," original student compositions (some below) and much more. Enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/jenorris/videos/10153312336777958/

11/08/2014

Last chance for Play-a-Story piano lessons! I'm certainly continuing to teach the full Simply Music piano curriculum for students aged 7-to-adult, but I'm phasing out Musicopolis' Play-a-Story program for young kids. In this program, students naturally develop the ability to express themselves through techniques for improvising their own "soundtracks" to different stories. Looking to start final Play-a-Story lesson groups the week after Thanksgiving or, at the latest, the week after New Year's. For more information about the program and to contact me ASAP for details, visit http://potluckcreativearts.com/lessons/play-a-story/

Play-a-Story: Piano for Ages 4 and Up Simply Music & Musicopolis Presents Play-a-Story Play-a-Story is a musical journey in which teachers and students travel through a storybook world. It uses the piano as its mode of travel, creating sounds, melodies, harmonies and rhythms to express the story… li…

09/17/2014

Still room in my Intro to Simply Music Piano Lessons class through Red Hook Continuing Ed. starting this Wednesday evening. More info: http://potluckcreativearts.com/2014/08/fall-2014-intro-to-simply-music-piano-classes/

Potluck Creative Arts proudly announces the offering of Fall 2014 Simply Music beginner piano workshops through Red Hook Continuing Education and SUNY Ulst...