083: The Joy of Jazz Piano with Jeremy Siskind

Jeremy Siskind’s journey bridges the worlds of jazz performance, education, and digital innovation. As a pianist, author, and educator, Jeremy has developed groundbreaking resources for students while inspiring thousands through his books, teaching, and YouTube channel. In this episode, he shares how improvisation can be taught step by step, why ensemble playing is crucial, and how his work continues to expand access to jazz piano for learners everywhere.

1. Jeremy shared about his background and how his piano journey began at a Yamaha Music School.
2. How Yamaha’s holistic training in improvisation and harmony set the stage for his jazz career.
3. The importance of planning routines like improv weeks or warmups to integrate improvisation.
4. The value of treating jazz like learning a language.
5. Why adults struggle with unlearning habits and wanting quick results.
6. How students can start with drone improvisations and clear phrasing.
7. The benefits of practicing blues as a foundation for jazz.
8. Jeremy emphasized why playing in ensembles is essential for growth.
9. He discussed the value of his Jazz Piano Fundamentals series for beginners.
10. How his Solo Standards books provide professional arrangements.
11. He highlighted the benefits of arrangements but stressed improvisation is key.
12. How YouTube expanded Jeremy's teaching reach worldwide.
13. Jeremy outlined upcoming projects including an album, TEDx talk, and songwriting book.

Links Mentioned

1. Jeremy's website: www.jeremysiskind.com
2. Jeremy's Jazz Piano Class: jeremysiskind.com/jazzclass
3. Jeremy's Instagram Page: @jsiskind2
4. Jeremy's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/jeremysiskind

Today’s Guest

Jeremy Siskind is the rare musician whose imaginative albums land on “best of” lists while his ground-breaking instructional books populate “best-seller” lists. A top finisher in national and international jazz piano competitions, Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition. A sought-after educator, Siskind has published more than 20 instructional books, including Playing Solo Jazz Piano, with an introduction by Fred Hersch, and the ground-breaking Jazz Piano Fundamentals series. As a busy LA-based musician, his piano playing can be heard on Arturo Sandoval’s most recent recording, My Foolish Heart, his arrangements can be heard on Julia Bullock’s Grammy-winning album, Walking in the Dark, and his compositions appear on nationally recognized repertoire lists, like the famed publication of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Besides Siskind’s own YouTube channel, which boasts over 25,000 subscribers, Siskind is frequently seen teaching on digital platforms like Tonebase, Open Studio, and Piano with Jonny, as well as presenting webinars and in-person lectures for the Frances Clark Institute, the Music Teachers National Association, and the Imagine Solutions Conference. Siskind helps to guide education and pedagogy surrounding improvisation and composition. Siskind spreads peace through music in places like Lebanon, Tunisia, and Thailand with the non-profit organization, Jazz Education Abroad. Jeremy Siskind is a Yamaha Artist.

About Rachel Ehring

Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.

1. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com
2. Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
3. Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694
4. Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly.

TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.

TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL