Debbie Poryes - Jazz Pianist: Teaching/References

I always enjoy teaching my students. We work on melodic line and chord voicing vocabulary, functional harmony in all keys, play on tunes together with me playing basslines on the electric piano, and generally learn, laugh and have a good time. Even if you haven't practiced much or feel tired and uninspired, we will practice together and I guarantee that you'll go home feeling better and wanting to spend time at your piano. I consider inspiring my students to be part of my job.

I help keep my students very organized so that they know how to use their practice time at home. I am extremely organized as well and prepare for every lesson in addition to keeping notes at the lesson so that I know what subjects we've covered each time. Students who have been studying with me for many years are always amazed that I can go back to a lesson date in my notebook from years ago, and see exactly what we did that day!

I also help the students learn how do do their own transcribing of their favorite jazz musicians so that they develop their abilities to listen and understand what they are hearing. Learning to play jazz is, above all else, an incredible ear training. Certainly we constantly study to improve our theoretical knowledge, and become more and more aware of what we are doing within the language of music. But always, it's about listening and finding out what these sounds are, and connecting more and more deeply to our inner ear. And by listening more closely to these fabulous musicians (such as Bill Evans and Miles Davis), they become your teachers too, and their playing becomes more accessible to you.

I am happy to teach people of all levels. My practice includes complete beginners as well as professional musicians and teachers. I also teach jazz vocabulary to other jazz instrumentalists, for example guitarists, horn players and singers. I taught for much of the 1980s in the jazz departments of two conservatories in The Netherlands, where I had small classes of the non-piano players to learn what was titled "Harmony on the Piano." So I've developed many skills to impart jazz vocabulary applied to instruments other than the piano.

I also teach Jazz Piano and Harmony classes at the Berkeley Jazzschool. See their website and catalog for more information. The address is on my "Links" page.

I am also available for one time workshops or presentations to, for example groups of classical teachers who would like to develop more jazz skills for their own teaching practices. "Introduction to Jazz Piano" is a one to two hour lecture/demonstration on the basics of learning a jazz tune from a jazz chart.

I teach Jazz Piano Lessons in my home near Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Alameda, and Piedmont CA.

I am involved with studying and teaching the "Taubman Approach" to piano technique. Briefly, this is an approach that emphasizes a more coordinated use of the fingers and arms, in order to make piano playing feel more natural and comfortable, and to avoid injury. See The Golandsky Institute website for more information. The address is on my "Links" page.

Please feel free to call on the phone or email me if you are interested in lessons and you'd like to discuss more about my way of teaching. My email and phone are on my "contact" page.

Debbie Poryes is a wonderful teacher, and her class was excellent in all respects. Debbie clearly knows her material very well. At many points in the class she was able to point to some of the great musicians in jazz history and explain how they approached the music. This was very helpful. She also provided some very useful handouts, and it was clear that she had spent a great deal of time thinking about what she should include.

She has a wonderfully adaptive technique that allowed her to demonstrate the different ideas she was explaining. In general, she was able to put the material she was teaching into a wider context that enabled the student to understand why it was important.

Debbie has two characteristics that are essential to a great teacher. First, she is wonderfully enthusiastic about the subject matter of jazz, and that enthusiasm becomes contagious. Secondly, she has a seemingly infinitive amount of patience with students and a willingness to work with them to
bring out their best musicianship.

I would highly recommend her as a teacher.

Lessons with Debbie Poryes are joyful! I’ve played piano for 25 years, and have never laughed so much with a teacher. Yet, with all the fun we have, it’s remarkable how much I learn at every lesson.

I came to Debbie as a classically trained pianist and piano teacher, and was immediately impressed by her deep knowledge of both jazz and classical music. She has the rare and wonderful ability to demystify complex topics such as melody, harmony, and improvisation, and she can explain a difficult idea in 10 different ways, with unending patience.

Debbie has all the qualities of a great teacher: She is a thoroughly knowledgeable and wonderfully talented musician; She brings boundless energy and enthusiasm to every lesson; She motivates and inspires; She is unfailingly organized and prepared; She is patient, thoughtful, articulate, honest, and sincere; And, most importantly, she listens!

Some lessons are filled with playing music, start to finish. Other lessons we analyze and learn from great musicians. Sometimes we even discuss how to practice effectively! Every lesson is fun and informative, filled with laughter and learning.

Debbie Poryes is a great teacher!

John Casados

In my 73rd year I decided to do something I had never done before with the condition that it be difficult in order to exercise my advanced age brain.

Since music is a love of mine, and a universal language that met the first two criteria, I enrolled in a beginning piano class. As it turned out, the class went much faster than my brain could embrace and luckily I found Debbie Poryes.

She took me in as a total beginner, made the instruction fit my learning pace and even though it is all so new and difficult, it is fun to see the progress she helps me make month to month. She is convincing me that I will be able to play some of my favorite songs in the style that makes me smile. With her encouragement I now have a new respect for the difficulty of the art and in the bargain I now have a terrific new, brilliant teacher that constantly opens me up to new explorations in my life that will no doubt lead me to ongoing
discoveries.

Thanks Debbie.

Larry Crevin

Debbie is a rare teacher of jazz piano and music in general. Despite her many gifts for piano playing, composing and arranging, her unselfish talents for teaching others might be her greatest contribution of all. Unveiling the mysterious world of jazz for her students to comprehend and appreciate, she offers you a very structured, yet individualized path to participate in that world yourself.

After studying with her for many years now, each lesson still feels fresh and new, like you're engaged in an elusive but thrilling adventure that comes closer within reach the more you immerse yourself in it. Debbie's constant curiosity and zen beginners mind attitude of always seeking out new tunes, ergonomic ways of playing them and providing tools and insights into putting your own musical signature on them is contagious, and makes you feel part of a life long learning process regardless of your level of proficiency as she proves to be a reliable and inspiring guide through it all.

Mark Rappaport
July 4, 2010

As soon as I took a class from Debbie at the Jazzschool in Berkeley, I learned so much in just one short quarter that I knew I wanted to study privately with her.

A uniquely gifted teacher, Debbie has a remarkable ability to take the infinitely complex art form of "Jazz" and make it accessible - even to beginning students.

Because of her vast teaching experience here and in Europe, as soon as she begins working with you, she knows exactly which approach to use and - this is important - when to vary or change it. Debbie closely observes placement of the fingers, hands and arms, teaching many ways to avoid injury and play piano comfortably.

She records each session, giving you the CD as you leave so that you can listen to it as you practice; extremely helpful.

Debbie is so vary patient - able to articulate and demonstrate difficult concepts many times and in as many ways as necessary. And to top it off, she has a wonderful sense
of humor! I have been studying privately with her since 2003 and always look forward to my lessons.

Susan Sarti
June 29, 2010

Debbie has a rare ability to truly keep me motivated to keep practicing and learning jazz piano, even when life gets in the way! She is one of the few teachers I have met who can explain harmonic theory in a way that is easy to understand, often resolving some of the confusion and myths that still exist in jazz theory today. As someone who always wants to know why something sounds the way it does, I really enjoy her ability to communicate and explain patiently.

Debbie’s in-depth knowledge of jazz allows her to constantly bring something new to the lessons and help me appreciate artists I had not previously known, which always keeps things fresh.

Her style of teaching is very flexible and she will naturally tailor the lessons over time to suit the interests and needs of the student. Debbie will pack a lot of information in an hour’s lesson and always leave me with plenty to work on.

Finally her sense of humor is terrific and we always have fun. At the end of the day it’s hard work practicing but Debbie makes it worthwhile.

Chris Porter

June 30th 2010

Debbie is a great player, performer, teacher, supporter, and friend. I leave every lesson feeling inspired and changed, having walked through musical doors I hadn’t even known were there. Debbie is unfailingly generous with her knowledge, enthusiasm, playing suggestions, and teaching tips. She’s got the knack for making things readily understandable, whether it’s fingering drop-2 voicings, using everything from harmonic analysis to simple 5-finger positions to start improvising on a tune, or explaining why jazz piano players should transcribe solos by Miles.

Debbie is both flexible and professional in “meeting me” right where I am, whether I need to loosen up my eighth notes, prep for a gig, beef up my repertoire, or indulge in a “theory geek” lesson. Her suggestions are always focused, supportive, and practical; I’ve filled several binders with the notes I’ve taken from my lesson CDs. I’m a better educated and more well-rounded musician, a physically healthier player, and a better teacher because of Debbie. As a fellow female long-time performer and piano/keyboards instructor, I’m also grateful for the opportunity to “talk shop” with Debbie about the local music scene, teaching and performing experiences, what it’s like to be a woman in a predominantly male field, etc. We’re all lucky to have her immense teaching and performing talents here in the Bay Area.

Debbie is a phenomenal teacher of jazz piano, with a rare combination of talents and skills: (1) She's an awesome player! (2) She knows her harmonic theory---a bit of a rarity among jazz musicians, in my experience---and she can clearly explain the applications to jazz. (3) She's fun, supportive, incredibly patient, and with an enormous repertoire of things for a student of any level to work on to make steady progress. As a big bonus, she's concerned about helping her students avoid or recover from common pianist injuries.

Finally, she's just genuinely nice and a pleasure to work with---a real gem!

I have been studying piano with Debbie Poryes for the past 17 years. Prior to that, I had taken lessons as a child from an old fashioned teacher who had me holding my hands and moving my fingers in all of the incorrect ways possible. Debbie has guided me towards perfecting my touch and using my hands and arms correctly. My lessons are always exciting and fun, no matter how unprepared or tired I am. Debbie also taught my son for several years. He had prior piano experience and a good deal of knowledge, but Debbie refined his playing so much, it is a joy to hear and watch him play.

Speaking of playing, whenever I get the chance to hear Debbie, I do. I really enjoy listening to her, watching her hands move up and down the keys in such a smooth motion. I think I share with her many of the same preferences for past and present pianists. Some I had known of and had been listening to, others Debbie introduced me to over all the years. She has a vast wealth of information for all things musical.

Debbie Poryes has an uncanny ability to zero in on your particular level of playing, and at a pace both comfortable and challenging take you to a higher and more satisfying level. She generously shares her many insights learned from decades of playing and teaching piano and emphasizes, among other things, the intellectual process inherent in jazz. Her teaching has changed my entire piano experience.


My lessons with Debbie explore harmony, voice leading, rhythm, improvisation, physical technique and composition -- all while building a repertoire that includes wonderful jazz tunes such as “Solar” by Miles Davis, “Melody for C” by Sonny Clark and “Peace” by Horace Silver. Prior to my jazz piano lessons with Debbie, my playing was straight off the sheet music and my ability to interpret a song was limited. With Debbie's teaching, I can now bring a greater “musical vocabulary” to each song and play more creatively and expressively. Even more important, I have a deeper understanding and enjoy myself more at the piano.

On subjects ranging from sports to music it is often said, ”Great performers, lousy teachers; Great teachers, lousy performers.” No one who has both studied with Debbie and heard her in live performance subscribes to that view.

Members of her class at the Berkeley Jazzschool and private students are inspired with patient, energetic and extraordinarily well organized instruction. One sometimes finds her at the drums providing a rhythm section or gracing the piano with her take on the music. Teaching for her is a passion.

Her audiences are treated to elegant musicianship -- tasteful, lush and swinging performances -- never excessive, showy displays.

For those of us who have been privileged to experience her gifts in both idioms she is a virtual treasure.