All too often music is taught in a very hierarchical or rigidly linear fashion. The assumption is that you can’t write your own pieces until you’ve studied: technique on your instrument, theory and analysis, the history of whatever style you’re writing in, and, of course, how to read and write music out using traditional notation. No wonder so many people are turned-off to mainstream attitudes about learning how to compose! (“Hey, my friend just sits down with his guitar and out pops a new song...”)

Obviously, the above mentioned areas can be helpful—they can bring breadth, depth, and variety to any composer—but that’s missing the point. No amount of academic background can produce a decent song because nothing can take the risk (and excitement) out of composing! Simple as that. Beginners can actually have more access to their basic creativity in the absence of ‘training’. The object is to approach composition study so that the amount of new information (or input about a student’s piece) never overwhelms the creative impulse.

• ALL LEVELS Taught
  • from beginners to pros
    
    
• ALL STYLES Covered
  • jazz / classical / Latin / blues / gospel / funk / pop / rock / 'new age' / free improvisation
    
    
• ALL SKILLS Enhanced
  • stress-free technique / improvisation / reading (note & chord notation) / theory / ear-training / songwriting

"Smolens is highly knowledgeable not only of jazz, but classical music,
and the music of many cultures, both instrumentally and vocally.
This, combined with his gifts of organization, focus,
and patience, make him an exceptional
teacher and educator..."

-- David Babich (clarinetist, vocalist, composer/arranger, recording artist)

 

"I always felt like I had learned something new with each lesson and was capable of learning even more -
he really nurtured the Spirit of the Student in me!..."

-- Dave Florey (pianist)