Music Tutor - Specialized in Songwriting, Theory & Ear Training, Guitar, Piano, + More!

Find out more about Zane

• 1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  I fell in love with music when I was 15-years-old, when I first heard of the French band Daft Punk! From there, I branched out to all sorts of styles and was eventually inspired to learn how to compose on the same level of classical masters, and then how to apply that level of skill to any style that I wanted to.
  
  In the end, I was able to reach a high level of skill in composition and music production, & I learned all sorts of instruments along the way to help me realize my songs.
  
  My favorite instrument is the synthesizer, as there's an infinite world of sound that you can get out of one.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I very much have favorite artists - I'm drawn more to specific composers, songwriters, producers etc. rather than specific genres - as an individual's taste, craft, & sensibilities are what really makes a song special in my view. If a song is genuinely written with care, then I'm sure it will resonate with me on some level.

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  On the highest level, we will simply be working on real-world problems with their own work. It's less teaching for me at that point, and more of consulting or even collaborating.

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I think the more relevant question is - what do you want to play? Every instrument has its own idiosyncrasies, its own set of skills to learn, and its own set of challenges to overcome. You'll have much more interest and willpower in successfully tackling these things if you're truly interested in the instrument!

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  here's a few things that come to mind.
  
  
  
  You have to want to learn. Whatever it is that you're pursuing, it has to be fulfilling in some way - for you specifically - to want to stick with it in the end.
  
  
  Process is everything. Life doesn't reward us for simply putting in a lot of effort; that effort has to be correctly directed for meaningful results. I think this is where having a mentor or tutor really shines; they should serve as a safeguard against focusing on irrelevant areas, against instilling bad habits, & ultimately against accidentally wasting time.
  
  
  Practice should be as consistent as possible. 10 minutes once a day, seven days a week, is infinitely more beneficial than 70 minutes for only one day in the week. I'll even tell students that, if it's truly all that they can fit in on a given day, they should still do 5 or even 2 minutes simply to stay consistent. It sounds silly at first, but over time it leads to genuine skill acquisition.
  
  'A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.' - Anthony Trollope

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  I would love to have a conversation with Chopin, Daft Punk, and Michael Jackson. They are all such interesting characters and undeniably top-level artists.

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school

  This is a bit more profound than what I would typically touch upon, but learning about music on a deep level really gave me a key to understanding many axioms of reality and humanity. It's shaped my views on politics, religion, my relationships in life - all sorts of areas. It seems very counterintuitive at first, but being an area of skill that requires great self-discipline, time management, understanding what people value etc. has taught me more than almost anything else in life. It's made me a better person, overall.

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  There's a lot of 'little touches' that I strive for that all ultimately add up to an incredibly beneficial and elegant experience. To name only a few:
  
  
  
  I answer the questions of "Why are we learning this? Why is it helpful? Why is it relevant to me?" with everything that I introduce. If there's seemingly no point or benefit to learning something, the student will quickly lose interest - as they should!
  
  
  
  
  We'll use your favorite music or your own original work as our content. An emotional connection is what draws us to art - using this to learn is not only incredibly beneficial, but I believe it's the only way to genuinely learn in the end.
  
  
  
  
  We will get our hands dirty with real, practical considerations of music. Sadly, there are a lot of false or irrelevant concepts out there that are touted as genuine music education, but they're ultimately irrelevant to most students at best and downright completely incorrect or harmful at worst. I can do the most complicated music theory alongside the best of them, but it's so much more important to learn how to write a decent melody or to give dimension to your playing first. Remember: music is about how it sounds. If you focus on that, then you're well on your way toward becoming a great musician.