Testimonials
Mission Statement
Richa (parent of child student)
My 8-year-old son absolutely loves his piano lessons with Steven and has been learning piano for over 2 years. In my son’s words “Dr. Steve is incredibly kind and the nicest teacher. He never gets mad when I forget stuff”. Steve is extremely nurturing and endlessly patient in the way he teaches, always meeting the kids at their level and helping them feel confident. He creates an environment that’s fun, encouraging, and genuinely enjoyable—my son looks forward to every class. One of my favorite parts about piano lessons with Steven is that he celebrates small wins. He explains concepts and music theory in a way my son can truly understand, and somehow manages to keep him both curious and excited. We feel very lucky to have found a teacher who cares so deeply and brings out the best in his students.
Joanna (parent of child students)
"Dr. Steve is an incredibly talented and patient teacher. My kids (10 and 12) have been his students for 4 years and they continue to love going to class. Dr. Steve teaches them not only to read sheet music, but he gives them tools to create their own music. The "jam sessions" at the end of each class allow them to be creative and expressive- a far departure from traditional music lessons. Dr. Steve teaches his students to enjoy playing an instrument without needing to have sheet music in front of them, and that is a true gift."
Urvashi (parent of child student)
Dr Steve is truly amazing. He is technically adept, has an incredible wealth of knowledge and is a patient, caring teacher who has made lessons with him the highlight of our daughter’s week. He has a clear idea of how progress can be achieved and sets realistic goals and makes learning fun. One day there was a fire alarm disruption during class for a couple of minutes-Dr Steve insisted on redoing the class at no charge-that is his level of commitment. He is the best music teacher we have known. I wish he had been my teacher when I was growing up.
D (drum student)
Dr. Steve has been teaching me drums for 4.5 years, and I have learned so much about reading music and playing drums. Now I am playing in an ensemble group and my school's rock band and I even do gigs. Steve is really kind, patient, and helpful in understanding the lessons, and encourages me to do my best. He lets me choose songs I like from Imagine Dragons, Ghost, Coldplay and more. Steve plays the piano and sings along, and makes lessons a lot of fun.
B.B. (adult piano student and parent of piano students)
"I have been playing piano for almost 30 years and Steve is by far my favorite piano teacher. Taking up piano lessons again as an adult, I was mindful to find a teacher who could help me advance not just in playing technique but in interpretation, musical theory and music history which I lacked. I have been taking lessons with Steve for almost 3 years and I can say that Steve is not just an accomplished musician but he is also a bonafide teacher and academic . He sprinkles our lessons with anecdotes and facts that bring the composers to life for me, makes analogies and comparisons that are illuminating and help me express in the music what I would have most definitely missed on my own. Many times he re-positions musical phrases I am struggling with in terms that suddenly make them clear and easier to play. He is able to help me make up for the limited piano theory I have had and still keep the joy of playing for me. I play for fun and relaxation and under his tutelage, I have successfully expanded my repertoire to pieces I would not have dared to attempt before. I have been fortunate to have Steve teach my 7 year old daughter who is a beginning pianist. What I find most remarkable is that Steve's teaching has the same transformative impact on her and her level of playing. He is able to relate to her and make her lessons fun. I give my strongest recommendation for Steve as a music teacher to anyone. I say music and not piano, because I don't think i know all the instruments he can play yet!"
Gina (parent of child piano student)
“When I asked my 10 year old son what he enjoys most about piano lessons, his response was that he has leaned more advanced music with Steve than he had previously. Steve’s talents go beyond his mastery of music and into the art of teaching. He is able to engage and connect to my son’s interests and abilities and adapt his lessons seamlessly. We find virtual lessons to be convenient and effective.”
Sola (child piano student)
"I like working with Mr Steve because he helps me improve my piano. We talk about the pieces and he tells me things that make it make more sense to me. Then I can play it better. Mr Steve is a great teacher."
Jordan (parent of piano student)
"Steve has been giving my daughter piano lessons over zoom for a couple of months now and he has been amazing! It is evident how knowledgeable he is with music. My daughter was able to learn her first song in only a few lessons and she gets excited to learn new things each coming week. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a 6 year old learning piano remotely but Steve is very patient and personable which makes it easy for her to connect with him as he guides her. We look forward to many more lessons and songs!"
Stephen (drum student)
"I've had the privilege to learn from Mr. Crino as a beginner, and It's safe to say that his method of teaching is effective; since he can deconstruct new concepts into various ideas that can help any beginner understand a musical concept. Mr. Crino is very flexible in his teaching style, and as I continued to learn from him, there have been times where I've been discouraged about my lack of understanding of a topic but, Mr. Crino is very empathic to my situation, and would go out of his way to make sure I fully grasp a concept. Taking lessons from Mr. Crino has always been fun since he does incorporate a style of teaching where he uses analogies and references to help enhance an idea of a subject, making things more interesting. What I appreciate the most about Mr. Crino's way of teaching is whenever it is appropriate to advance on an understanding of a concept, Mr.Crino would go in-depth on a topic that is more advanced than what I already know, but that's what helps me grow and really inspires me. Overall, I'd recommend Mr. Crino to anyone wanting to learn a musical instrument that he's able to teach since he is a fantastic instructor and genuinely a nice person."
As a teacher with a passion and extensive background in music theory and composition, my mission is to not only teach students how to play an instrument, but to give them the tools to understand music in general. This multifaceted approach allows students to take their general music knowledge with them to any instrument they may be interested in playing in the future. Because of this teaching style, I have had many students over the years who were able to begin learning a second instrument with ease. My teaching method also encourages students to explore multiple genres of music during their lessons, and provides the skills and confidence to write and improvise music on their instrument using the concepts from the lesson. I feel that this approach builds advanced and well-rounded students that enjoy the process of learning about music through their instrument of choice.
TEACHING
Steven offers both in-person and online lessons in:
Composition • Harmony • Counterpoint • Music Theory • Piano • Drum Set