Tristan McKay Piano StudioHi there! I am a Michigan-based piano teacher, performer, and scholar with over two decades of teaching experience. I am equally at home working with children and adults, and at levels ranging from complete beginner to professional. I specialize in classical music, but also teach popular styles.
My lessons cover more than the basics of piano performance. I work with students to create short and long term goals that cater to their individual interests. I believe that the most capable pianists possess a wide variety of musical abilities, so I incorporate music theory, practice strategy, ear training, and technique into my lessons on a case-by-case basis. I host four recitals a year. Three recitals take place on Zoom, where students can pre-record videos or perform live from the their homes, and family and friends from around the world can watch. Every spring, we have the McKay Studio Showcase recital where students have the unique opportunity to perform in-person on a beautiful 9-foot Steinway D grand piano at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. I hold a PhD in Piano Performance from New York University, as well as a Masters of Music from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelors of Music from NYU. I have performed across the country and internationally (Australia/Italy) at venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, Roulette, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. I specialize in contemporary classical performance and am classically trained. I am currently on faculty at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where I teach piano, music theory, music criticism, and music history. I am a contributor for I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, an award-winning multimedia hub for living music creators. My scholarly work on music notation, aesthetics, and music ontology is published by Cambridge University Press (2021), NOTES: The Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association (2022), and The American Journal of Semiotics (2023). Please contact me at [email protected] to schedule your free consultation today! •• Curricula •• For beginner children, I use the Faber Piano Adventures series. I create a personalized lesson plan for each student so that we can celebrate their strengths while building up other skills. Some examples of individualized study include extra note reading practice with flash cards and games, improvisation and composition, scales and finger exercises, and music theory/analysis. Students additionally pick a challenging "goal piece" from outside the method books. The goal piece helps students achieve faster progress. For beginner adults, I use Faber Adult Piano Adventures. This accelerated method book helps us quickly cover foundational material on note reading, chords, technique, and enough music theory to play a variety of styles. I also have adult students pick a challenging "goal piece" from outside the method books, which caters to their individual interests while accelerating their learning. For intermediate to advanced students, we generally work on several pieces at once from contrasting styles. This includes pieces from different eras of classical music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, Contemporary) as well as other interests of the student such as popular music. I have worked with students to prepare for RCM, ABRSM, and state exams, audition for performing arts high schools and college music programs, and present solo recitals. For students of all ages I also offer the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) curriculum. This highly-structured and rigorous curriculum gives driven students the tools they need to become independent and well-rounded musicians. I can't speak highly enough about this curriculum! Both children and adults in my studio have had accelerated growth with this curriculum. There are 12 levels, each with an exam that can be taken for a certificate. For professionals and pre-professionals I offer lessons that focus on virtuosic technique and musicality. I also teach strategic practice techniques, repertoire and recital planning, and advanced theory. For very high level students, I also offer limited or one-off coaching sessions. •• Teaching Philosophy •• When learning a piece, it's tempting to just get the notes and stop there, but that is only half the battle. What so many self-taught pianists miss out on is cultivating true musicality. I work with students of all ages and levels to bring out their individual artistry through informed and personal interpretations of each piece we work on. I am always patient, kind, and encouraging with my students. It is a long journey to master an instrument like the piano. I meet students where they are, and keep in mind that everyone comes to the piano with different abilities and experiences. •• Virtual Studio •• My studio has been fully virtual since early 2020. I teach from a home studio which is fully equipped with the best multi-camera setup and professional audio and lighting. I strongly believe that the remote format is just as successful as in-person instruction, a belief that is reinforced by the accomplishments of my students time and time again. Lessons are an investment of time and money, and with virtual lessons I can offer greater flexibility with scheduling. •• Contact •• If you're interested in learning more about lessons through my studio, I'd love to hear from you! Please tell me about yourself (or your student)--have you had experience with the piano or another instrument before? I'd also like to know if you have any particular goals or interests with the instrument (such as learning a specific song, genre, or skill). Please contact me at [email protected] to schedule your free consultation today! |
Photos: Studio Recital at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music (New York)
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Testimonials
"I would highly suggest Tristan, especially as an adult beginner looking for no-judgment lessons." – William E.
"Tristan deserves the highest rating that I can give! My 5 year old started virtually with him 3 months before she turned 5 and he is so patient, fun, and connects with her so well even through video. She is excited to practice each week and looks forward to her lessons and is making the kind of progress that blows my mind!" – Amelia S.
"Tristan is a true professional who cares about your child's development and progress. He has really connected with my children and approaches their different learning styles with ease. His lessons are organized, focused and he is in tune to my children's capabilities- he will push them but not over do it so the lessons are always enjoyable. He is patient and reassuring, they both really enjoy working with him." – Nicole L.
"Taking lessons with Tristan over the past year has been one of the most rewarding hobbies I've revisited as an adult. All through elementary, middle, and high school I studied piano with weekly lessons and then played occasionally in college. For the past ten years, though, I really didn't touch it at all. I found it hard to stay in the habit of playing because the kind of music I wanted to study was a little too difficult to attack on my own, and I had no discipline without a teacher. With Tristan, not only am I motivated to practice throughout the week, but he's also coached me on techniques of play -- ways to work out fingerings, chunking the minutes I practice to focus on a few measures at a time, studying a piece to bring out its musicality -- that have brought me to new levels of skill & maturity with the instrument." – Laura B.
"Tristan is an incredible piano teacher. My daughter has been studying with him for over a year and has found a new level of excitement and commitment under his tutelage. He challenges her, encourages her, makes it fun, and is always on time. During Covid, when the lessons moved to online, my daughter still enjoys and learns from the lessons virtually. He organizes wonderful recitals with all of his students and is easy to communicate with. He is also an overall trustworthy and kind person, someone I am happy to have in my daughter's life, and in mine as well. Really, I couldn't be happier." – Karen W.
"Working with Tristan has been fantastic. He's an engaged, thoughtful, hardworking presence, and our daughter has learned a great deal from him & continues to grow as a musician and as a music-lover." – Anselm B.
"I'm an adult piano student and composer, working on my own project but also learning medium-to-advanced 20th-century repertoire including Prokofiev, Poulenc, and Shostakovich. Tristan was initially recommended to me because he is a superb performer of new piano music, a range of experience that most piano teachers don't have. Working with him, I discovered that he was just as insightful about older music. Tristan's approach to the piano is based on identifying and working through challenges, both technical and expressive: how to play a passage to bring out the musical intent I wanted. He was always ready to offer alternative approaches for different musical goals, and he never shied away from trying out a passage himself to find the most effective way to play it--which was especially valuable when I had written the passage myself! With Tristan, the focus is on repertoire, not on endless exercises. And it's on solutions that are both technical (hand and body position and technique) and musical/expressive, not just on one or the other. I count myself extremely lucky to have worked with him, and I'm unambiguously a better pianist for it." – Marlon F.
"Since 2012, Tristan has been the piano teacher to all three of our children starting at the age of 5. Tristan's command of music theory coupled with his academic background has been instrumental to our children's music education. His instruction is adaptive and yet still structured and thorough. He encourages them to explore different pieces and makes sure that they are properly challenged and motivated along the way. As a result, they are all very active in a broad spectrum of performing arts - in the choir, jazz band, theater, etc. In addition, the focus and discipline that they have developed over the years playing the piano have clearly helped them in other subjects and they have all academically thrived throughout elementary, middle, and high school. The children truly look forward to their Monday afternoon lessons and we have been very lucky to have him with us all these years." – Farid M.
"Tristan has been teaching our two children piano for several years and they have shown remarkable progress in their skills thanks to his guidance. He is extremely knowledgeable in music theory and knows how to inspire the kids to take on challenges and perform to the best of their abilities. He is good about mixing traditional/classical pieces with more contemporary one to keep the kids engaged. Additionally, he is a warm and friendly presence but we appreciate the way he keeps the kids on track and offers candid feedback when they are falling behind and not living up their potential. During the pandemic, his virtual lessons have been highly effective and provided our kids with a desperately needed diversion." – Brett L.
Please contact me at [email protected] to schedule your free consultation session!
"Tristan deserves the highest rating that I can give! My 5 year old started virtually with him 3 months before she turned 5 and he is so patient, fun, and connects with her so well even through video. She is excited to practice each week and looks forward to her lessons and is making the kind of progress that blows my mind!" – Amelia S.
"Tristan is a true professional who cares about your child's development and progress. He has really connected with my children and approaches their different learning styles with ease. His lessons are organized, focused and he is in tune to my children's capabilities- he will push them but not over do it so the lessons are always enjoyable. He is patient and reassuring, they both really enjoy working with him." – Nicole L.
"Taking lessons with Tristan over the past year has been one of the most rewarding hobbies I've revisited as an adult. All through elementary, middle, and high school I studied piano with weekly lessons and then played occasionally in college. For the past ten years, though, I really didn't touch it at all. I found it hard to stay in the habit of playing because the kind of music I wanted to study was a little too difficult to attack on my own, and I had no discipline without a teacher. With Tristan, not only am I motivated to practice throughout the week, but he's also coached me on techniques of play -- ways to work out fingerings, chunking the minutes I practice to focus on a few measures at a time, studying a piece to bring out its musicality -- that have brought me to new levels of skill & maturity with the instrument." – Laura B.
"Tristan is an incredible piano teacher. My daughter has been studying with him for over a year and has found a new level of excitement and commitment under his tutelage. He challenges her, encourages her, makes it fun, and is always on time. During Covid, when the lessons moved to online, my daughter still enjoys and learns from the lessons virtually. He organizes wonderful recitals with all of his students and is easy to communicate with. He is also an overall trustworthy and kind person, someone I am happy to have in my daughter's life, and in mine as well. Really, I couldn't be happier." – Karen W.
"Working with Tristan has been fantastic. He's an engaged, thoughtful, hardworking presence, and our daughter has learned a great deal from him & continues to grow as a musician and as a music-lover." – Anselm B.
"I'm an adult piano student and composer, working on my own project but also learning medium-to-advanced 20th-century repertoire including Prokofiev, Poulenc, and Shostakovich. Tristan was initially recommended to me because he is a superb performer of new piano music, a range of experience that most piano teachers don't have. Working with him, I discovered that he was just as insightful about older music. Tristan's approach to the piano is based on identifying and working through challenges, both technical and expressive: how to play a passage to bring out the musical intent I wanted. He was always ready to offer alternative approaches for different musical goals, and he never shied away from trying out a passage himself to find the most effective way to play it--which was especially valuable when I had written the passage myself! With Tristan, the focus is on repertoire, not on endless exercises. And it's on solutions that are both technical (hand and body position and technique) and musical/expressive, not just on one or the other. I count myself extremely lucky to have worked with him, and I'm unambiguously a better pianist for it." – Marlon F.
"Since 2012, Tristan has been the piano teacher to all three of our children starting at the age of 5. Tristan's command of music theory coupled with his academic background has been instrumental to our children's music education. His instruction is adaptive and yet still structured and thorough. He encourages them to explore different pieces and makes sure that they are properly challenged and motivated along the way. As a result, they are all very active in a broad spectrum of performing arts - in the choir, jazz band, theater, etc. In addition, the focus and discipline that they have developed over the years playing the piano have clearly helped them in other subjects and they have all academically thrived throughout elementary, middle, and high school. The children truly look forward to their Monday afternoon lessons and we have been very lucky to have him with us all these years." – Farid M.
"Tristan has been teaching our two children piano for several years and they have shown remarkable progress in their skills thanks to his guidance. He is extremely knowledgeable in music theory and knows how to inspire the kids to take on challenges and perform to the best of their abilities. He is good about mixing traditional/classical pieces with more contemporary one to keep the kids engaged. Additionally, he is a warm and friendly presence but we appreciate the way he keeps the kids on track and offers candid feedback when they are falling behind and not living up their potential. During the pandemic, his virtual lessons have been highly effective and provided our kids with a desperately needed diversion." – Brett L.
Please contact me at [email protected] to schedule your free consultation session!