| You find music beautiful, valuable, fulfilling. I can help you open doors and follow your hopes and goals as a musician. Whether you aspire to play piano, guitar, or even ukelele or accordion, or wish to advance your skills on the bass, I’m here to help. |  |
Andrew Brown had his first piano lessons at the age of six. He went on to learn guitar at fourteen, bass guitar at sixteen and double bass, his choice for a professional career, at eighteen. After graduating Magna cum Laud from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in Double Bass Performance, he turned down invitations to attend the National Orchestral Institute at University of Maryland and the Master’s Program at Peabody Conservatory to join the studio of Ludwig Streicher in Vienna, Austria for further study. Andrew played bass professionally in ensembles ranging from opera orchestras to funk bands while studying, achieving Magister Artium and Ph.D. degrees before returning to the D.C. area. He taught American Kodaly Method at the German School Washington, D.C. from 2004-2017 and privately after school. He performs regularly with Brulee (bandbrulee.com) and Salonorchester Alhambra (Vienna, Austria). His other interests include building stringed instruments and real estate investing.
Andrew’s teaching philosophy espouses first and foremost the Hippocratic oath: do no harm. Having had experience with “traditional” methods in Europe, and witnessed the worst stereotypes of disciplinarian music teachers, he rejects progress at the cost of well-being, and believes that inspiration, friendly and competent encouragement, and success on the instrument are the keys to musical doors. Andrew brings vast experience of practical musicianship together with a childlike approach that’s fun on the surface yet profound in its technical and musical content. Posture and technique are always at the service of the three ingredients of great music: rhythm, intonation and tone. Interpretation requires an answer to the question, “why?” and the answer can be found even by the youngest musicians, with help. He chooses technical and repertoire pieces appropriate to age, ability and to the taste of the individual. Materials include classic, proven sonatinas and scales as well as modern classical, pop and jazz pieces, custom arrangements, and the possibility to write and perform one’s own compositions.