In addition to being a professional performer, Jarred is also an excellent teacher – as I can personally attest. Jarred teaches teachers, helping them to develop even when it seems there’s no more time to practice because they’re always teaching. He also accepts younger students who are already aware that they are serious about music.
This is where a teacher like me comes in… I take beginners to a level where the ambitious ones can move on to and access a teacher like Jarred.
When did you develop an interest in teaching?
After I began to play really serious repertoire at the age of 13, I became interested in helping other people learn to do it since I enjoyed it so much.
How old were you when you accepted your first student?
Fifteen.
Have you ever taught beginners?
Unfortunately for them, yes.
Could you imagine teaching beginners now, at this stage in your career?
No, definitely not. I believe I would be the worst choice to teach a young beginner, since I began learning piano at the age of two. I don’t remember the beginning stages and since then have devoted myself to playing.
If a student came to you for advice on how to pursue a performance career in music, what would be the first thing you would tell them?
Go for it. If that’s something you want, you’re not going to feel fulfilled until you know you’ve given it your best shot.
What would you suggest they do in order to try to achieve this?
The competition world is an easy way to develop your repertoire and make yourself visible to musical experts and to the public. Public involvement in the arts will happen naturally if you are an honest and real musician, and in the process of educating yourself you learn whether you have enough grit to go through with the career long-term.
If people see their child is really talented, in what ways should they encourage that talent?
They need to study with a teacher who recognizes that talent , but who maintains objectivity about what will be needed to make that talent into something marketable. The highly-developed work ethic will support that young person becoming independent and capable of making artistic choices. When sending their children for lessons, parents yield a certain degree of control to the teacher. The child may be talented, but every teacher knows that there are inter-related capabilities and some of them suffer because one area is not as strong as others. It takes a discerning ear to hear such flaws and an experienced teacher to correct them, which is why the parents need to trust the teacher to find what is really holding the child back . What all three parties need to remember (parent, child, and teacher), is that it is about the music, and they’re all working together the pursue the same end.
Everyone knows that performers have suffered greatly through this pandemic, but how has Covid affected your teaching?
My colleagues now understand how I have been doing online teaching for the past eight years, and I arranged some master classes for my students to meet one of my colleagues in Katowice through online teaching! The Covid pandemic hasn’t changed my teaching life. People now realize that they can continue with their development online, but the best development still comes from within, with the help of trusted guides, teachers, and mentors.
Master Class at Lithuanian Academy of Music Pre-College (April 2019):
Master Class at MTNA Seattle (March 2020):
Chamber Music Master Class at Chopin University of Music in Bialystok, Poland:
Digital Master Class with Prof. Magdalena Lisak (Academy of Music in Katowice), June 2019:
