About Jacob
Jacob is an experienced piano teacher based in Brandon, offering lessons to students aged 6 and up. He provides a range of services including piano, composition, ear training, and jazz improvisation. With a Master's degree in Musicology and Performance from Soochow University and further studies in Jazz Piano from Maastricht Conservatory, Jacob is well-versed in both classical and jazz styles. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, and English, he offers lessons online, in-studio, and in-home. His teaching philosophy emphasizes personalized guidance tailored to each student's unique goals.
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH JACOB NOW
Having had the privilege of learning from world-class jazz and classical pianists, I have adopted a teaching philosophy centered around simplicity, practicality, and customization. My approach is to guide students by tailoring concepts to their individual needs and aspirations, encouraging them to explore and discover their own musical tastes. From these interests, we build foundational music concepts that resonate with their personal goals. For those students who are serious about academic training, I am committed to providing the best resources and structured guidance. I believe that with the right materials and support, students can achieve significant growth and success in their musical journey.
Name: Jacob (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 40's
Gender: male
I am Jacob , a Taiwanese jazz pianist and composer. I started playing piano at the age of 9 and quickly developed an interest in various genres, including Classical, R&B, Folk, and Jazz. As I explored these styles, I began improvising and composing my own music. My journey led me to join a professional band where I collaborated with pop and jazz session musicians, and I participated in fusion band gigs. I earned my Master's degree in Musicology and Performance from the Conservatory of Music at Soochow University, and in 2018, I graduated with a degree in Jazz piano from Maastricht Conservatory. During my studies, I joined the Alex Scott Quartet and Quintet, and we became finalists in the Maastricht Jazz Award. From 2018 to 2021, I toured across European countries before returning to Taiwan, where I shifted my focus to commercial composition and arranging. In 2023, I released my debut solo piano album, “Improgenesis.” Currently, I am pursuing my MMus in Performance and Literature, Jazz, at Brandon University's School of Music, where I have been awarded the Prime Graduate Scholarship and Assistantship. I study under Norwegian Academy Jazz Piano Professor Eyolf Dale, as well as Brandon University instructors Carter Graham, Marika Gelea, Eric Platz, and Greg Gertien. My playing style, influenced by artists like Chick Corea, Taylor Eigsti, Eldar Djangirov, Michael Cain, Brad Mehldau, and Eyolf Dale, spans post-bop, fusion, free, avant-garde, and modern jazz. I also compose for films and games, bringing my wide-ranging musical interests into these projects. Additionally, I specialize in jazz transcription, analysis, arrangement, and composition, developing my unique playing style while converting music into sheet music.
Maastricht Jazz Award finalists Maastricht Conservatory Excellent Scholarship Brandon University School of Music Scholarship and Assistantship Europe Touring invitation during 2018
Cantonese
English
Mandarin
Taiwanese
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Jacob is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Jacob can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.
Jacob's Studio Location
Jacob offers lessons from his studio. Please note that map locations are based on the postal code of the teachers studio. address will be released to you if needed.