Andrew Nesler - Piano Lessons

In addition to maintaining an active piano studio, Andrew has given masterclasses and coached in festivals in the United States and United Kingdom. From 2018 to 2021, he co-authored and delivered whole-class music education curricula in three Indiana school districts, reaching over 1,000 students in just three years. During his Masters studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he developed a model for "Wild Music Pedagogy," in which students become advocates for themselves and others in their environment, drawing on anti-colonial, feminist, and eco-literate pedagogies. He currently serves as Lecturer in Music at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

A bit about my teaching philosophy:

For me, music is about sharing. Philosophically, music (as one of my favorite researchers, Dan Shevock, puts it, “the intentional experiencing of sound”) is more than making and listening to noise; it’s about listening to ourselves, to those around us, and to the world we live in; it’s about listening to who we were, who we are, and who we might become; and it’s about giving back. And in divisive, chaotic, and wasteful times, there has never been a more urgent need for inclusive, compassionate, and responsible music education.

I am always seeking new ways of teaching and assessing musical ideas, and over many years of experience teaching music in private lessons, in school and university classrooms, at festivals, in masterclasses, in church choirs, etc., I have collected a unique, ever-growing assortment of tools to get the job done. Through my countless successes and failures, I’ve found that the most important things are love, honesty, and scholarship. In the private studio, I practice these three tenets by using a co-constructive and democratic teaching style, by giving frequent positive feedback and critique, and by staying up-to-date in matters of research and best practice. Because students learn most efficiently when they are centered in every stage of the teaching and learning process, my practice guides learners not only to identify the concepts they’d like to learn, but also how the concepts can be engaged with and assessed, teaching the students to advocate for themselves through discussion, inquiry, discovery, and the cultivation of self-discipline.

My studio is a safe space where every student’s curiosity is engaged, their intellectual interests broadened, and their ideas respected; where they develop the skills necessary to artfully communicate, efficiently problem-solve, and ultimately, take charge of their own learning, wherever life may take them. The last clause in italics is key because I am concerned with empowering students to design and incorporate practice strategies for life, not just piano. I believe that diversity is a crucial and healthy ingredient in education, and that frequent contact with divergent ideas and experiences teaches listening and empathy. Therefore, I create a classroom culture where the acts of respectfully asking questions and “speaking in draft” (sharing thoughts even when knowledge is limited and opinions might change) are practiced, and I celebrate when my own knowledge and authority is questioned.

Please email info@andrewnesler.com or use the form below to enquire about piano lessons.

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