About

About Erik

I've been teaching music for over twenty years, and I've learned something important in that time: the most rewarding students aren't always the youngest ones.

The adult who finally wants to understand why that chord progression moves them. The worship musician who plays by ear but wants the theory to back it up. The songwriter who hears something in their head but can't get it onto the page. The pianist who took lessons as a kid, walked away for thirty years, and is ready to come back — this time on their own terms. These are the students I do my best work with, and they're the ones I'm here for.

Training and Experience

I hold a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in Music with concentrations in Voice and Theory/Composition. I've performed hundreds of times professionally as a singer and instrumentalist across a wide range of styles and settings. My primary focus as a teacher is music theory, though I also work with adult students on piano, voice, and guitar when there's a strong fit.

My longest-running student and I have worked together for over a decade. That kind of ongoing, deepening relationship is what I'm here to build — not a revolving door of beginners, but a small number of serious students I can genuinely invest in over time.

My Approach

My approach to teaching is shaped by my Christian faith — I believe every person has something genuinely worth developing, and I try to bring patience, honesty, and real investment to every lesson. I'm not interested in running through a textbook. I'm interested in the questions that actually keep you up at night as a musician.

Hear Erik Perform

Performed, "real" music (not just theory) is at the center of everything I teach.  Here are some glimpses of my own performance life:

I maintain a YouTube channel of sacred music and chanting — music that's close to my heart and central to my musical life.

Here's a classical performance from my concert years.  German art songs (Lieder) were significant in shaping the depth of my musicality.