MARC EVANSTEIN, PHD
Music Composition/Theory Piano Creative Coding Academics
About Me
I am an ideal teacher for students with wide-ranging curiosity: Perhaps you not only want to learn piano, but also want to understand how music is put together, and maybe try your hand at writing some music of your own. Or perhaps you're already a composer, but want to better understand the relationship between composition and and other disciplines like physics, mathematics or CS. Or maybe you are a high school Calculus student looking for an experienced teacher with a unique perspective.
My teaching is informed by my work as a composer, pianist, coder, and, increasingly, YouTuber. I hold degrees from Stanford (BA in Music, MA in Music, Science and Technology) and UC Santa Barbara (PhD in Music Composition), and my music has been featured in festivals and won awards both in the US and internationally. As a programmer, I have created numerous tools for composition, most notably the SCAMP libraries for composing music in Python.
Whether you're just beginning, or a seasoned professional, I'm excited to help you find unexpected insights and connections between different areas of knowledge.
Composition/Theory
As a composer, my music has been featured in festivals and won awards both in the US and internationally. I have taught composition, music theory, and musicianship both privately and at the college level, and am equally at home with both the traditional study of harmony, counterpoint, and musicianship, and with more esoteric topics, such as Xenakis' theory of sieves, or granular synthesis. In addition, I have a particular pedagogical interest in compositional interfaces, and the way in which different tools shape the music that we create.
Piano
For me, the rigorous study of piano performance has always gone hand-in-hand with the study of composition. I perform a range of music, from standard repertoire, to contemporary music, to my own compositions. As a teacher, I put significant emphasis on the physical choreography of piano playing, as we learn to transfer the relaxed weight of the torso and shoulders into the keys. Beyond that, I tend to tailor my approach to the individual student: whether you want to learn Chopin preludes, or play pop songs by ear, I'm here for it!
Music Coding
As the developer of the SCAMP libraries for Computer-Assisted Music in Python, I can teach you not only how to code, but also how music and code interrelate. We can start with the absolute basics, or jump straight into more advanced topics, such as generating music using Markov chains or L-systems. Although I typically teach in Python, I'm comfortable with many other languages and frameworks, such as Java/Processing, SuperCollider, C/C++, JavaScript and Max/MSP.
Academics
My work as a composer has always bumped up against math and science communication (check out this collaboration, for example). Perhaps this is why I have found myself working as an academic tutor in various contexts for the last 15 years. Over the years, I have tutored all levels of middle and high school math, computer science, physics, biology, writing, and standardized test prep (I scored in the 99th percentile in both the SAT and GRE), and I have a knack for helping people overcome math anxiety.
I offer both in-person lessons (I am located in Tualatin, Oregon) as well as virtual lessons. Lessons are typically weekly, and my current rate is between $100-$150 for an hour lesson, depending on the subject. That said, if this cost if prohibitive for you, don't hesitate to reach out anyway. I am always excited to work with a motivated student, and there is usually a way to work within you budget. Also, if you have a friend who is interested, we could consider group lessons!
In addition to private teaching, I periodically offer online workshops in music programming, including a yearly summer workshop at Stanford Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).
More recently, I teamed up with the website Kadenze.com to produce a beginner-friendly introduction to music programming in Python. This inexpensive online course is a great way to get started with Python, and with music programming in general.
Marc’s capability to teach music across genres is brilliant. I’ve watched him advise students who are writers of classical, jazz, electronic, experimental, and pop. He always encourages us to broaden our musical horizons and prepares us with the knowledge and the materials we need. His approach is always to address the different facets of music, from the creative process to the more scientific or technological aspects of sound. No matter what a student is working on, he can easily provide guidance.
— Seryne Aryeh, former class composition student
Marc took each of the problems with the traditional structure [of a musicianship class] and systematically redesigned the course to benefit all students as much as possible while maintaining the intent of the course. On his own, he implemented one of best uses of differentiated teaching that I’ve ever seen... I can only say this for a handful of people: without Marc, I would not be anywhere close to where I am today.
— Nick Mazuk, Composer and former musicianship student
[Marc] is indeed a rare person... His selflessness is only equaled by his impressive breadth of knowledge and his clear joy in sharing his love of learning with others... From the beginning, he consistently built relationships with even with the most reluctant students. His ability to find what makes people excited and use it to engage them in almost any topic impressed me from day one... Marc is a true educator, individualizing his approach for each student, checking to insure their understanding, adjusting his approach as needed, and circling back to past topics.
— Lauren Gleason, M.Ed., Teacher at Alta Vista Alternative High School
Marc is really good at delivering the ideas and spirit of the knowledge, not only with detailed verbal explanation, but also with demonstrating just the right music examples along the way. Artistic thinking could sometimes be hard to deliver, especially when you have a totally different culture background and study scientific & technical majors. However, Marc was able to spend extra efforts to bridge the thoughts and ideas from various disciplines, also the cultural barrier in my mind.
— Minquan Chen, former piano student
I learned a lot during the workshop, expanding both my Python knowledge and different ways of writing computer music... I love this way of composing music and I think I will continue using it in the future.
— Ningxin Zhang, Python computer music workshop student
It was fantastic! I learned more useful Python during this class than I did during 10 yrs of using it on the job. My music theory is spotty and weak, and I managed to pick up quite a bit during the class.
— Python computer music workshop student
You can reach me at marc [AT] marcevanstein [DOT] com, or by filling out the form below: