About Me

My Mission

I believe that music has the power to unlock our greatest potential – emotionally, intellectually and creatively – and is essential to our growth. I specialize in helping children and adults discover the music in them.

Music can comfort and uplift us, and give us a safe place to express ourselves.

Private Lessons

I give piano lessons to students age 5 and up. I also
give lessons in guitar and trumpet to students age 10 and up.

I want to know what musically interests each individual student. That’s where we begin to build.

Some of my students prefer a traditional approach. We study how to read and play sheet music. We explore music theory, scales, and exercises. 

Some students prefer to engage with play and so I take a creative approach. For some very young learners, this can involve drawing, puppets and imaginary play, all towards the goal of building music appreciation and growth.

It is my goal to help all students discover a new love of music and a way to express themselves.

I offer music lessons both at students’ homes and my home. My piano (pictured above) is located in the beautiful Maplewood Room of our house, full of light, with windows looking out on our yard and garden.

Music Classes

With the COVID-19 pandemic, I retired Mr. Jason’s Musical Care Classes until further notice. (I created some virtual classes.)

About Me

I’ve been playing music since age 10, performing since 16 and currently am a self-employed, private music instructor. I have been a music teacher with Sing A Song LLC, where I taught music classes to over 200 children in schools in and around Essex County, NJ every week. Upon becoming a parent to twins in 2015, my wife and I moved our family from New York City to New Jersey. I retired after nine wonderful years as Music Minister with Greenpoint Reformed Church of Brooklyn, NY. I also retired from over a decade in administration and operations management in non-profits in NYC that focused on leadership development for educators, the National Principals Leadership Institute (NPLI) and New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) in order to focus on music and taking care of my family.

I hold a Masters degree in Music Performance with a focus on trumpet from Hunter College (having studied trumpet under Phil Bajema (Cornerstone College, Grand Rapids Symphony) and Nathan Botts (Carnegie Hall, Weill Music Institute), a BA in English from Michigan State University and performed as a professional musician with jazz and rock bands in New York City for fifteen years. A few of the bands and artists I performed and/or recorded with were Andrew Hoepfner, Darwin Deez, Shilpa Ray, Ladybug Transistor, Donny McCaslin, Erika Spring, Don Lennon, Phoebe Kreutz, The Red Hook Ramblers, Aurelio Voltaire, Bria Skonberg, Eddy Davis (of Woody Allen’s jazz band), the Columbia Wind Ensemble, the Ureuk Symphony Orchestra, and many others.

My wife is an LCSW therapist and we have three young children (a girl and twin boys.) Life is good when you are doing good for the world — I try to put that ahead of everything I do.