What Students, Teachers, and Experts are Saying  
Workshop Experiences

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"I have never studied with anyone who has such a comprehensive understanding of music or such an absolute command of technical possibilities as Jarred Dunn. In his pedagogy, Jarred combines insight with rare authority. While I worked through the preludes and fugues in the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier and the French Suites, he directed my attention to gruppetti, tiratas, Bach’s training in rhetoric, voice-leading, dance choreography, and a wide range of pertinent and helpful information. (Nicholas Harnoncout’s Baroque Music Today, one of his casual recommendations, was especially ear-opening.) Jarred brings all these resources to bear on piano performance .During lessons, he approaches technical issues with resourcefulness. “It’s easy,” he says, and he shows me how to break down a technical problem with specific movements, gestures, touch, or approach to the keyboard. Because Jarred hears everything—absolutely everything!—he can diagnose problems with daunting accuracy.

 

Jarred possesses a genuine gift for teaching: he makes suggestions for improvement on a specific piece while giving glimpses of how much more there is to learn...He inspires enthusiasm through his teaching as much as he inspires a desire to emulate him in his playing. I count myself lucky to study with such a gifted pianist and sought-after teacher."

-Allan Hepburn

 

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"Jarred's lesson on Tonebase stood out from other instructors' in that it was methodical and cohesive. As a pianist and teacher, I am always looking for tactical, foundational, and somewhat universal truths that may be reproduced in myself and my students on the road to mastery - reproduction being the hallmark of proven methods. It is shocking how often these foundational tenets - in his example, guidelines to playing a C major scale - are ignored or assumed within piano pedagogy. Part of my students' and my own confusion comes when different ideas of piano pedagogy directly conflict with each other.  Having a framework to practice from is invaluable, and that's what Jarred provides. He teaches with clear instruction, and explains the 'why' beyond the method, which is essential for self-monitoring and moving forward in the right direction. Great instructor!"

-Michelle Kalisz, Third Street Music School (NYC) Faculty

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"Jarred is a delight to study with. His passion for music and teaching are evident during every moment of our sessions. He is demanding but patient, and his teaching style is creative and adaptable. His age belies his erudition and worldliness, and his ability to effortlessly draw on an astoundingly profound knowledge of the genre to instantly illustrate a specific point of pedagogy is something you might expect from an old master, perhaps not from such a young one."

-Roy Gordon

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"Jarred Dunn is an exceptional piano teacher and pedagogue. 

 His deep understanding of how the piano works is evident in each lesson.

Jarred does not simply teach his students how to play the music that is on 

the page.  The technique he teaches focuses on how to use your body

properly, in an all natural way, to ensure that injury is prevented after

practicing. Many pianists, both professionals and amateurs, complain

about having pain in their body, most commonly in their hands and

wrists. As Jarred works with his students, he makes sure that everything

feels comfortable and natural while playing. Studying with Jarred has
shown me how to look at the music more in depth, and has taught
me how to use the technique in a way that will achieve

the sounds I want to create. 

 

In each lesson, Jarred and the student have a goal, and Jarred always

works in a way to ensure that goal is met. In a constructive way, Jarred

pulls apart the piece the student is working on, and shows them how to

put the piece back together again. Although it may seem difficult at first, after a while by using the techniques that Jarred teaches, each piece becomes easier to learn. Pieces are learned faster and one's repertoire quickly grows after studying with Jarred. Jarred not only teaches technique, but his wealth of knowledge about each specific piece allows the student to understand even more about the background of the piece and what was going on in the composer's life at the time. This can be useful because it makes the piece more interesting and gives clues on how to play it accurately and tastefully. 

 

Something that stands out in each lesson is the passion Jarred has about the music and in his teaching. Although sometimes lessons may seem overwhelming due to the work that has to be done, Jarred gives the student the confidence needed to continue and not give up. It has been great working with Jarred; I have learned a lot from him, and he has shown me what I am capable of achieving. I had been feeling less confident about my playing, to the point where I didn't want to play for anyone anymore, but Jarred has given me back my confidence to play for others once again. I highly recommend studying with Jarred Dunn, as he is an eccentric and passionate teacher with a wealth of knowledge that can help anyone with their playing, no matter their level. Jarred makes everyone reach for their true potential."

     Matthew Bayford

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 "Jarred Dunn is a good piano teacher because he brings out the 
passion in his students. He gives his students a whole new perspective on the piano.
Instead of focusing too much on technical details, he focuses more on the musicality
of the piece. He showed me aspects of the piano I never even knew it had.
Most importantly, he makes the most complex pieces seem as a piece of cake!" 

     Praveen P.

 

      "Jarred Dunn was a legend from a very young age. He is a phenomenal and
sensational pianist among many other attributes and possesses the qualities
of an understanding teacher and mentor. His detail work is not only in the technical
aspect but also great emphasis on emotion and passion while he plays and teaches,
bringing out a new perspective of the the pianist and the piano itself. He has
recognized and brought out the passion for piano in many of his students,
including myself, and also his listeners."

     Bhairavy P.

 

                                                                             

"I began taking piano lessons with Jarred as a adult beginner, he is always very patient and very professional. Through his high standards of teaching, I found another beauty in life: music. I enjoy continuous learning from him and feel blessed to have a music teacher like him!"

Jie Ji

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"When I arrived for my first piano lesson at Jarred Dunn's studio, I was so nervous. Right 

away Jarred put me at ease.  After I played a short piece that I had learned on my own, 

we started working on developing a good solid technique.  At the end of my first lesson 

I was amazed at how different and much better my hands felt on the piano.  I never 

realized how tense I was when I played.  Jarred continues to work with me to help build 

my technique and expend minimal energy during performance.  Whereas in the past I 

would tire quickly, now I feel that I can play as long as I want.

 

He is very patient and able to adapt his teaching technique to my personality. 

There are times when I find a particular passage of music challenging, and Jarred is able

to identify the problem and help me to understand how to overcome it.  When I’m not

happy with the sound of a particular performance, he works with me through the musical

passages and helps me to produce the sound that I want."

     Miro Pauliuc

 

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"I have been studying with Jarred Dunn for two and a half years, and am astounded with 

the progress I have made. I taught piano for ten years before I met Jarred, and I felt like I 

had gone as far as I could regarding my performance capabilities. I thought I was too old

and out of practice to make any real progress. Yet, Jarred has made it possible for me to 

communicate exactly what I want when I play, by teaching me the Taubman Technique. He 

put in the time that was necessary to make sure I had a good foundation. Once that was established, my fingers began to fly. I am not limited by pain or discomfort, and musical possibilities are endless, now that I am comfortable at the piano. Jarred is highly intuitive, which allows him to see any underlying problems, and is aware of the student's potential to be able to solve them. He has a solution for everything, and makes the learning process enjoyable. My love of classical music was reignited by him."

    Tasi Glass

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"I had the opportunity to take lessons with Jarred Dunn as I was preparing for my ARCT in piano performance at the Royal Conservatory of Music during the summer of 2009. Jarred’s instruction proved to be immensely valuable for my preparation. Not only was he helpful by providing insight into the nuances and details of compositions I was playing at a smaller-scale, going through the pieces with me measure-by-measure, Jarred was also very informative with regards to the large-scale form. Indeed, his approach to teaching is very holistic as we focused on the repertoire, approaching it from the technical, expressive, emotive, and even philosophical perspectives. This variety of interpretations with which Jarred tackled the compositions that I played for him and the way in which we were able to discuss them and try them out was enormously instructive.  

 

One crucial advantage of Jarred’s teaching style is his ability to create a relaxed and yet very stimulating atmosphere for learning. He is able to generate a very comfortable and open manner of interaction with those he is instructing, while maintaining professionalism.

 

Jarred is exceptionally passionate about piano pedagogy and this enthusiasm is extremely contagious when learning from him. This is especially important when learning very high-level compositions that require a lot of patience and thoroughness. Jarred’s unique, energetic, and creative approach to teaching is surely to be a highly important contribution to the field of piano pedagogy."

     Polina Dessiatnitchenko, The University of Toronto

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"Under Mr. Dunn's tutelage, I have found myself able to advance successfully into more challenging repertoire and physical techniques which have given me a great deal more interpretive freedom and musical satisfaction. Every lesson presents a wealth of information. Jarred is a sharp observer of physical technique and is quickly able to diagnose and provide effective problem-solving solutions. His manner in lessons is forthright, encouraging, and respectful. He is generous with his information, and patient when I need to review new concepts or ask for further clarification. He is able to clearly demonstrate his suggestions and corrections. His obvious depth of understanding of a large repertoire of many compositional styles, his beautifully fluid performances, and his very discerning ear for the sensitivities of musical subtlety and inflection gave him instant credibility with me."

    Marianne Carefoot, RMT, Director: North York Suzuki School of Music (Toronto)