Teaching

Dr. Brower has all of the qualities a piano student would want in their teacher: he is personable and attentive, and is very knowledgeable when it comes to piano! More importantly, he does a great job of clearly communicating advice and insights during lessons, but also encourages the student to develop their own interpretations and individual artistry. His style of teaching makes for a collaborative and creative learning environment, which is perfect for students of all skill levels.

I have learned an incredible amount from studying with Dr. Brower—technically and artistically—and have seen significant improvements in my abilities as a pianist over the past few years of lessons with him. He’s an excellent teacher, and his guidance has been invaluable to me as a pianist. I’m really grateful for having the opportunity to be his student, and would highly recommend him to any piano student!

Bridget L.

I’ve been taking piano lessons with Dr. Brower for over two years (but have been playing for close to fifteen years) and I have grown so much as a pianist with his guidance! I wanted to have lessons that covered both classical and jazz music and Dr. Brower can do it all! He is an extraordinarily talented classical pianist but can just as easily switch to jazz or to other genres. His lessons are so engaging, and we have had so many great conversations about music. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a piano teacher, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player!

Maura W.

I worked with Dr. Brower at Washington College for three years in private piano lessons while pursuing a music major. I have played piano for most of my life, since I was a young child, but had had very little formal technique coaching until beginning my coursework in college. With Dr. Brower’s coaching and expertise, I was able to improve my playing immensely and achieve a major dream in presenting a senior capstone recital. Dr. Brower and I worked together to develop my recital program, putting together a setlist of pieces that showcased a variety of American musical styles and developments, to fit in with my American Studies major. While I love music and it is a passion of mine, I am not a virtuoso and I primarily play what I think is fun. Dr. Brower was wonderful at teaching with a mixture of more difficult Classical and Romantic era pieces to push and challenge me alongside Broadway show tunes and pop/rock music that I found more fun to play. With his teaching and coaching, I worked for several seasons during college as an accompanist, from a youth choir to student recitals to an original musical. I found Dr. Brower’s enthusiasm and kindness a fantastic atmosphere in which to learn and grow as a musician. I am blown away by his own skill as a pianist, and yet never felt intimidated or inferior in my own music ability because of his support and enthusiasm. After college, largely due to the skills I honed with Dr. Brower and the confidence that he helped instill in me, I was able to begin working professionally as a music minister in church settings. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented, brilliant musician who is also so kind and such a competent educator.

Heidi B.