WackoWorld Music

Erik Walker is a phenomenal musician/​composer, we’ve performed together upon occasion, recorded a bunch, including Eighty Mile Beach’s Independent View theme. I’ll bet he’s a great teacher as he has a big ol’ heart and great sense of humor… I’ve been a fan for years!

We both studied piano as children and wish we’d had such an amazing teacher as Erik is to our 8 year old daughter. He really understands how to best approach her and stimulate her interest in music: Beethoven, the blues, his own compositions. In Erik’s studio environment our child takes her lesson seated in a studio set up with many other instruments. Her curiosity is continuously engaged. An inspiring and inspired teacher!

I took lessons from Erik from ’91 to ’99 and in that time i went from zero to Debussy’s Claire de Lune. The trip included music theory, improv, jazz, blues, classical, composition, and organ technique (sort of … no foot pedals). He guided my development and enriched my understanding and appreciation of music. Although I am a vocalist these days it was my work with Erik that provides the foundation for my ongoing musicality.

When my son started taking piano lessons from Erik, he had already taken a couple of years of standard, classical lessons. He could barely play, was far more interested in heavy metal guitar, and was rapidly losing interest in continuing piano. Erik immediately grabbed Luke’s attention by focusing him on playing rock, blues, and jazz from the keyboard (rather than sheet music). Luke has now been taking lessons from Erik for 4 years: he loves it and it quite accomplished. Erik is incredibly creative and broad-​reaching in his approach. He has focused on who Luke is and how to engage him and help him grow. He has taught him music theory and sight reading and used the guitar and drums to illustrate various points. Now, Luke is playing Bach, Chopin, Charlie Parker, Dave Brubeck, Booker T and the MGs, and others, and is interested in jazz and composition. I highly recommend Erik, especially if your child does not respond well to traditional means of teaching piano.

My daughter LOVES her piano lessons! Nuff said. The perfect combo of creative «ear» learning and traditional structure. If you want to experience the joy joy joy in music, Erik’s your guy.

Our 9 year old son has been taking lessons with Erik for over a year. He enjoys going and has been very comfortable with Erik from day one. I trust Erik as a musician, a teacher and a person. I often leave our son at his lesson and go shopping on Cortland while he’s there, which is great. What I most love about Erik’s teaching is that he is teaching music theory and all that, but he also has our son improvising a lot. I don’t remember that from my childhood piano lessons!

I learned piano as a child while hating piano lessons. My son is learning piano while digging piano lessons. Enough said.