Update: I will be living and teaching in China from November 2025 through April 2026. I am offering online lessons while I'm gone. I presently have four online students, and several of my in person students have agreed to online lessons while I'm gone. Lessons will be mid to late afternoon, and evening U.S. time. Rates will be the same.
Hello, my name is Kerry Shacklett. I'm a classically trained pianist, professional keyboard player, and music teacher. I'm also considerably trained and proficient on guitar and drums. I've been performing regularly since 1969. Currently I am in a band with three original members of Jefferson Starship, a multi-platinum band from the seventies and eighties. I perform regularly on the M.S. Dixie II on Lake Tahoe.
I've taught over 200 students one on one over the last few years. I can teach classical piano, jazz and modern keyboards, beginning to intermediate guitar and drums. I will also teach digital recording, synthesizer programming or other music technology on request. I have a complete recording studio in my home.
I am happy to teach at all levels and ages. Each student and I together determine the direction he or she wants to go, whether the goal is to play professionally or strum a guitar around the camp fire, and I teach accordingly. Technique, reading, and theory are taught as necessary but above all I emphasize how the music is actually supposed to sound. I've had several students with music degrees. All of them have made comments to the effect that what I teach is very useful and was not covered adequately in college. Beginner or advanced, I will help you listen, hear, and understand music, whether you're working on someone else's music or creating your own.
Lessons are $40 per 45 minutes. One lesson per week is recommended but I'll work with your schedule and budget. I can do half hour lessons for $30 or hour lessons for $50. I prefer to teach in my studio, but I will travel for a small fee. My general rule is $5 for under 10 minutes of travel each way, and $10 for 10 minutes and above.
Parents: Studies show that music lessons, especially keyboard lessons, improve general cognitive ability and achievement of children, as this video explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng
“If you want to raise smarter, more emotionally balanced, and creative children, start with music, not coding.” According to research from MIT
“Teaching music to children is the most important thing in life, next to parenting, that a person can do.”
Jean Ashworth Bartle
Watch me perform: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIqQICnoEWI&feature=email
Call, text, or email for a free consultation by phone or in my studio. If I ever fail to return a call or message, it was unintentional. Please try again.