My primary goal is to help you realize your full potential as a pianist and musical artist. The following are some of the fundamental skills that you can master under my guidance.

1) Understand the physiology of piano playing and empower your technique: which muscles to activate and when, how to employ arm weight and gravity force, how to balance activity and relaxation, and - most importantly - how to make full use of your physical resources to bring your musical intentions to life. Each student goes through a personal process of self-discovery and self-mastery.

2) What is the true meaning of interpretation and expression? Which psychological and intellectual powers are involved, and how to awaken and employ them to their full extent? I will help you connect with these intuitive and creative forces and guide you towards the discovery of your own artistic individuality and uniqueness. Performance will be seen as a creative endeavor, rather than mere execution, involving a holistic and coordinated action of body, heart, and mind. We will also study historical recordings and discuss the historical piano schools from the legacy of Liszt and the Russian conservatories to the Italian and French schools of the 20th Century.

3) Two quintessential skills in piano playing are perhaps the most arduous to conquer: making the instrument as expressive as the human voice and creating a polyphonic sound image with the effect of multiple voices singing simultaneously. You will advance on the path of mastering these skills with a personalized training in the tradition that connects Liszt, Claudio Arrau, and the Post-War Moscow School.

4) How to produce a resonant sound that fills a large hall in the most subtle pianissimo and is never percussive in the loudest fortissimo: we will explore this and other secrets to achieve beauty and variety of tone through the cross-use of pedaling, dynamics, and touch.

5) In any work of the Western musical tradition, a vast amount of musical information is not directly notated in the score and is implied contextually. Also, the same sign can imply a surprising variety of different meanings according to historical time, composer, and musical situation. I will provide you with all the analytical tools you will need to decipher any score from any musical period. Most importantly, I will teach you the most efficient movements (upper body, arm, wrist, and finger action) to translate every detail of a score into sound.

6) I will offer you personalized techniques, tips, and exercises that can unlock the full power of your memory, including a complete a thorough method of mental practice away from the keyboard. I will also help you conquer, once and forever, the emotional distress that may arise from the act of performing in public.

7) If necessary, I will assist you in working on your own personality to overcome any obstacle, inner or outer, that may be preventing you from achieving your full artistic potential. Most importantly, we will cultivate the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of music with occasional references to philosophy, literature, religion, and other art forms.

"Thomas Schwan extended and deepened my understanding of classical piano music. He taught me the real importance of grouping notes into phrases, and playing melodies rather than plain sequences of notes. I feel like I am ten times the pianist I was at the start of the semester."

"Mr. Schwan taught me an entirely different way of playing. He opened my eyes to a whole new world of sound quality and interpretation."

"Piano lessons with Thomas Schwan are always engaging. Never have I gone into a lesson and wasn't challenged in some way. His abundance of knowledge and technique really translated with me."

"Schwan really encouraged me to do my best to achieve a high level of awareness. Overall, he is one of if not my favorite teachers. His details are rich and effective. I challenged myself with difficult repertoire this semester and Mr. Schwan always provided me with the skill set to accomplish it."

"Mr. Schwan is one of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. He is understanding but not a pushover, demanding but not harsh, and his line of thinking, teaching, and playing focuses on improvement and the process you take to get there."

"I found Thomas Schwan's teaching to make an astronomical difference in my playing abilities."

"Mr. Schwan has made me evaluate my practice methods and how productive my practice really is. He has also given me a kind of new found interest in piano."

"He really is a very excellent teacher and he has changed the way I think about music."

"Mr. Schwan is a fantastic piano teacher who does not simply teach us how to play the notes. He went deep into pedagogy and musical practicing techniques that can be used across the board; a truly superb teacher."

"Thomas is very encouraging, and balances constructive criticism and praise very well."

"He was very dedicated to making sure that I understood the principles of technique. I feel as though I can approach the piano in an entirely new way."