STUDENTS...

"I am always impressed by how John's teaching goes beyond the music. He makes me think about how to approach my own learning, and I feel that I have grown as both a composer and as a thinker from our lessons."

Alan (student, 17)

John has been my composition teacher for nearly seven years, and he has been one of the best mentors I’ve ever had.

When it comes to composition, he knows what he’s teaching. He is always able to recommend pieces to listen to for inspiration or to give feedback on my works for submission. His teaching style is both informative and flexible; he will help you go down the composition path you want, while also teaching you the core elements of creating music.

His guidance has even helped me with college admissions, where a composition portfolio was a large part of my application’s success.

To anyone interested in composition lessons, I would highly recommend John Syzygy!”

Anika (student, 17) 

"John is a charismatic and funny teacher that any student can learn from, not just piano from but also much more about life. I don't think I have ever met a more well rounded teacher that could understand my point of view like John does. 

His passion for music and piano is clear in his lively approach to teaching. Just one look in on a lesson and you can see his enthusiasm and love for what he does. His teaching has helped me understand how to improve my piano practice and better understand the music, more than simply playing the music as it says. John has helped me find a greater appreciation for music that I did not have when I started lessons.

John stands out further with his extensive knowledge outside of piano. He helps students with organization, goal setting, and time management. He has insightful advice to offer even outside of music. He is also very funny. I often leave lessons with a smile on my face. 

I have not met a student that did not enjoy having John as a teacher. I think of John not just a piano teacher, but a mentor in all walks of life."

Kavi (student, 16)

"John has been such an inspiration and has always motivated me in the best way possible to strive in whatever I do whether it is in piano, school, leadership, etc. He is so much more than a piano teacher as he is knowledgeable about so many ambiguous topics always giving insightful advice on life. Every Friday night, no matter how much I have practiced the past week, John always puts a smile on my face with his exuberant personality and ensures that I get the most out of his lessons. I feel in the past year and a half I have grown not only as a musician but also as a person, and I am really grateful to have John as my teacher to instill that appreciation, passion, and love for music in me through his fervent teaching" 

Natasha (student, 13)

"John has always been one of those teachers that is strict, while being fun and entertaining. What I mean by 'strict' is that he never gives up on you, and he never lets you back out of doing something, which is a good thing.

All you should know about John, is that he is a great teacher, funny, and will never give up on his students. That, is what I call AMAZING."

Liana (student, 11)

"John has been my music teacher for about 6 years and he has taught me all I know about music. He’s a dedicated, caring, and greatly intelligent teacher who not only specializes in teaching music, he also relates musical knowledge to many things that apply in life. How to act in certain situations, how to overcome stage anxiety, memorization skills; he doesn’t only teach students, he enlightens them.

I mainly play piano, but John has taught me so much more than just piano. John has inspired me to compose my own music, to join a band with some of his other students, taught me to collaborate with other musicians, and he has filled my mind with useful knowledge about the history and technicalities of music. He motivates his students and supports what they like and want to do with their musical abilities. And he has inspired me to want a major in music and go to a university that is specific to music. John has improved my musical talent, and my personality in general, and has made a large, positive impact on my life. To say the least, I highly recommend John."

Angel (student, 15)

"John has been teaching me piano for about a year and a half. Over this time, I have found and still find myself every week looking forward to his next lesson. He describes his approach on the homepage as 'relaxed yet highly structured,' and I can find no better words to describe his teaching style. No matter how little or much I have practiced in a given week, he always puts me at ease and finds a way to get things done and inspire me to work harder and learn more. Over such a brief time, my knowledge of piano and music theory has grown significantly from a negligible amount, and with it, my love for the instrument.

Not only does he educate the student in piano, he applies his lessons to the learning process of anything one may encounter in life. His sagely and entertaining stories always leave a smile on my face."

Rishabh (student, 13)

"To future students,

I have been studying piano and music theory with John for over 5 years.  Through awesome patience and sense of fun, he helped me keep playing and improving my skills.  He has a way of making practicing even the most basic skills interesting and novel.  He is a musician that loves music.  Although I didn't know it when I was younger, I know now how excellent it is to have talent and be a great teacher of that gift.  John is that kind of teacher.

To John,

You are a great role model of what it means to always be positive and hard working.  I know that I'm not the easiest student to teach but you helped me not give up on piano.  Music is something that was a big part of my dad's life when he was young, so I felt like it was for him that I had to do piano.  My choice would have been designing the ultimate master of the universe video game.  But because you slayed the dragon of boring lessons, I was able to stick with it long enough to understand and to let music become part of my own choice.  Thank you for this."

Ben (student, 15)

"I have been a composition/songwriting student with John for about a year and a half and it has been well worth it. he has made music fun and exciting for me, and has given me the freedom to explore different styles and genres. I highly recommend John if you are looking for a class that will flood you with almost too much knowledge while still having a fun time!"

Michelle (student, 16)

"First off, every good teacher needs a bright personality. John’s is, to say the least, ebullient. He is always in a bubbly mood when I come to my lessons, and never blames me when I lack practice. He is full of random jokes and morsels of wisdom. Even on my worst days, he manages to have the ineffable power to cheer me up.

John’s personality would mean absolutely nothing if it weren’t coupled with an excellent teaching strategy. The point of his teaching (in my experience) is this: by teaching me in many ways, he ensures that I understand theory concepts more thoroughly, have more knowledge of the pieces I am playing, and never get bored of my lessons. Even when I am not in the mood to learn theory (which is not often, as John has made me absolutely, positively, love music theory), I can be assured that he will have a way to teach me, and I will enjoy it. As an added bonus, I never forget anything I learn, because John teaches everything at least twice.

Finally, no teacher would be a good teacher if he weren’t intelligent. John is knowledgeable about everything. There is pretty much nothing you can say that he does not understand. Believe me, I’ve said pretty much everything. He is a piano teacher, so he obviously has a lot of understanding of piano and music theory (and I mean a lot! of music theory), but you would be surprised about what he knows about every other instrument on the planet. I also have reason to believe that as a child, he may have sat down one day and memorized the dictionary. He uses pretty much every word imaginable. In addition, he seems to have taught me everything I know about study strategies, college survival, and life in general. 

I would, without a doubt, encourage you to take lessons from John Syzygy, the (awesome) piano teacher."

Mallory (student, 14)

“You have done so much for me! You’ve been such a significant influence in my life with the piano and everything else that there is. I want to thank you for all your support, help, guidance, advice, care, teaching, and listening...

You are a great teacher:

For giving me the ability to read music; for giving me music history lessons; for giving me theory lessons; for being wonderful and enthusiastic EVERY week; for jumping up and down to get me to play with emotion; for giving your students interpretation freedom; for sharing your music on your iPod with me after I had some rough times; for having me understand how to be diplomatic, patient, polite, give compliments often, show criticism in a positive way, and point out positive things to students; for cheering me up after I was upset from school in 5th grade; for letting me find dedication and passion in piano where before there was a hobby!”

Phoebe (student, 17)

"I started learning piano from John in 2006 after moving here from Pennsylvania. Though my teacher back there was awesome, there were many times when I lacked the motivation to practice. John has instilled in me a strong love and passion for piano which has only pushed me to practice more and more to reach my full potential. John brings a perfect combination of energy, knowledge and spirit to lessons and there’s usually no need for him to maintain a strict teaching manner. Indeed, one of John’s greatest qualities is to inspire you to push yourself and if one week you fail to do so, you’ll only be disappointed in yourself (trust me, I speak from experience). John also brings a vast amount of information to lessons, explaining topics such as proper hand structure, musical intricacies and historical context. Basically, you can ask John any question be sure that you’ll receive an accurate, thorough and helpful response. Not only has John transformed me into an advanced piano player, he has made these last six years thoroughly enjoyable and has made a lasting impact in my life."

Pranay (student, 16)

"John is not the typical, run-of-the-mill piano teacher who simply teaches how to play what’s in the book. I look forward to every piano class because I am never quite sure of what I will learn there. His energetic enthusiasm toward each student’s edification in life, each student’s musical experience, and even each student’s activities outside of music make him a dedicated teacher that has changed my worldly perspective.  As a person, he has thoughtful reasoning behind his every action and he definitely has a reason for teaching. My experience with John may not be the same as everyone else’s, but after two years, John has become one of the most highly regarded people I know."

Sarah (student, 16)

PARENTS... 

“Our daughter, Peyton, has been taking music composition lessons from John for over 5 years and has taken theory classes with him as well. Before John, we struggled to find a teacher that could inspire and challenge our daughter in this area and tried a few teachers that were not good fits. John has been amazing with Peyton and we never want to stop lessons with him! He knows how to push our child to greater heights while instilling a love and passion for the art and science of composition, he is flexible in how he teaches to fit each child’s different needs and to fit a child’s varying needs at varying times, he welcomes parent input (but doesn’t require it), and he never stops learning himself so that he can always be improving as a teacher, mentor and human being. We can’t say enough great things about John because he has truly been an invaluable part of our daughter’s life. Under his tutelage, Peyton has won numerous composition awards including the ASCAP Foundation’s 2019 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.

Joy Shih (parent)

"John has been a great piano teacher to both of my kids. His enthusiasm and the sense of humor he brings to each piano class is unmatched. He has a very good sense for the student's abilities and matches the piano pieces with the effort required to be challenging enough but not overwhelming.

John has been more than piano teacher - he has provided very valuable real-world advice to my kids. John guided my son with sound advice on his college selections. My son has now graduated from John's mentoring and we are looking forward to success with my second one. We wholeheartedly recommend John - can't find another teacher with his level of commitment to students' success."

Ravi Shankar (parent)

"John is a truly gifted teacher! Our son has been taking lessons with him for over a year now. We are very, very happy with the experience. John has a wide range of knowledge about various genres of music and communicates that enthusiasm to all this students. Our son really loves learning from him and his technical knowledge and creativity, both in performance and composition, have improved tremendously. Beyond music, John is a wonderful mentor! Our son looks forward to every single class."

Alpana Pande (parent)

"John customizes his teaching to suit the individual needs of each student. He teaches them to play not only skillfully, but also joyfully, and to develop a life-long love for music. John's easy-going, calm nature belies an extremely talented individual and focused teacher. He sets high standards for all his students, which they seem to achieve effortlessly! My son has been learning from John for the past 3 years and truly enjoys coming to class each week. "

Uma Sriram (parent)

"John instills confidence, enthusiasm and a result-oriented attitude. While being clear and straightforward on what the deliverables are, John stands out among teachers when it comes to understanding, being flexible with a high school student's academic pressures while making sure CM requirements and practice needs are adhered to. This is where we really appreciate John in working with us, being really considerate and providing the best coaching to our son. Our son respects John and at the same time appreciates his friendly coaching style."

Ravi Varanasi (parent)

"Our children have taken piano lessons from John for several years and have really enjoyed them. They are both old enough now to decide for themselves whether they want to keep taking lessons (our eldest is in high school), and they both do. They really appreciate John’s warmth, humor, and expertise in teaching piano. We are glad we found him!"

Scott Ellis (parent)

"When i look at my son using his time wisely -- practicing piano for hours - i feel very happy.  Music is a great gift we can give to our kids. Thanks to John for motivating and helping my son learn the subtle and diverse aspects of piano. The best part is making the student work independently and learn as much by himself. It is a long journey and feeling glad that John is a part of it. John brings fun to teaching and this helps kids very much. I look forward to seeing my son grow in to a good musician under John's guidance. "

Satish Visvanathan (parent)

"John is an amazing piano teacher; he is truly inspiring in the way he teaches kids at different levels and age groups. Both my boys learn to play the piano from him and they actually look forward to the class! It never ceases to amaze me how tactfully John provides constructive criticism and always inspires my kids to do better. He has a great sense of humor, and is very creative in the way he builds theory in the piano class so it is not boring. I whole heartedly recommend John as a piano teacher to anyone with kids of any age, and for that matter even adults!"

Pratibha Jain (parent)

"John Syzygy is not just an inspiring piano teacher, he is an amazing role model for all of us.  He lives and teaches the enjoyment of lifelong learning and the beauty of knowledge.  His positive attitude is galvanizing and contagious.  He approaches his students with the world view that any challenge or dream is possible given enough time and effort.  My personal favorite one word response from John, that he gives to my daughter’s complaints of “I can’t do this!”, is his expectant and upbeat“YET!!!”.  John is a flexible and creative teacher who is able to approach each student from the angles which best suit their learning styles and needs.  Besides being a consummate teacher, he is an actor, comedian, historian, composer and musician all rolled into one which makes for memorable lessons that keep his students coming back for more.  John clearly inspires and promotes the future music professionals among his students, but he is also, in reality, a teacher for all levels and abilities; even those who have learning challenges can gain so much from his endless patience, constructive criticisms and joyous praise of their successes."

Judy Kelley-Macek (parent)

"We are so fortunate that John has been teaching piano to both of our children for almost 5 years; they have both become competent performers and they always look forward to their lessons with John.  Not only has John taught them how to play piano along with proper technique, rhythm,  and expression but also John helps and encourages them to experiment with different types of music, write their own compositions and play multiple instruments.  He has been very understanding and flexible with our children at all times which certainly is a challenge for most but with John it just seems to come naturally.  We especially appreciate the perfectly timed recitals which are always enjoyable to both the parents and children."

Michelle Brodale (parent)

"Each week, as I sit in the room during my son's piano lesson, I am delighted by John's silly antics used to inspire my boy to love music.  I am frequently amazed by his ability to hold attention and get results without guilt, threats, or demands.  He is one of the best teachers of children that I have ever met.  When people are impressed with my child's ability on piano, I make sure to tell them about his wonderful piano teacher, John."

Nancy Mautino (parent)

"John has been an excellent teacher, mentor and friend to my son, Max. Max took lessons from John starting around age 7 and continued until he went to college. John was instrumental in helping Max get accepted into various college music programs. The great thing about John is that besides being a wonderful musician and piano teacher he has an incredible knowledge of music theory which he teaches both in the weekly lessons as well as separate theory classes. Lastly, John has an incredibly high energy personality that inspires the kids!"

Barbara Riching (parent)

"We want to thank you for all that you have done for Phoebe over the...years. She has grown from a ten year old child who really likes music to a young woman who is passionate about music and sees herself majoring in music in college. Your unflagging energy and enthusiasm for anything related to music communicates itself to all your students, and keeps their interest alive even when baseball, marching band, and homework threaten to take over their schedules. We appreciate your patience with the ups and downs of our daughter's moods, time spent practicing, and musical likes and dislikes. You have supported all her musical endeavors, piano-related or not. We are also very thankful for your lessons to her in how to be a good person; how to work gently with younger people and be excited by their successes, and how to speak well of others, always.

...You have had a large role in Phoebe’s life as a musician. It is under your guidance that she has come so far in the repertoire she plays...

We hope Phoebe will always be able to call you a mentor.”

Robin Wu (parent)