Experienced teacher specialising in jazz piano, but who welcomes people interested in other genres, including beginners

Learn more about Daniel

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I've been passionate about learning music since I was 8 but started taking it more seriously in my teenage years, when I decided to apply to conservatoires and pursue music as a career.

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  So many! Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Tigran Hamasyan, Wynton Kelly are some of my favourite pianists. From classical composers, I like Moussorgsky, Bach, Tchaikovsky and many others. But I listen to and draw inspiration from a wide variety of genres, including funk, pop, many kinds of rock, rap, and folk.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  Probably something dealing with developing an in-depth knowledge of harmony

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  They are all complicated in their own way

• What are your keys to success?

  Consistency and discipline but also having fun and encouraging genuine interest - these are all mutually dependent!

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Probably Stravinsky, John Coltrane, and Jimi Hendrix - all pioneers but in their own way

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  I used to think that it is better to specialise in one instrument rather than spreading yourself too thin and learning many different ones. While there is some truth to that, I later met a Grammy-award winning musician at a jam in London, who I thought was primarily a bass player but when we were playing together he went on drums and was amazing on them so I thought maybe he was a drummer primarily. Then he played keys and made me think his main instrument was piano! I still can't figure out what his best instrument is but it made me realise that adding new intruments or genres, or generally specialities, to your portfolio does not come at the expense of something else necessarily - rather, with enough discipline it can serve to improve your understanding of music generally

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  My genre versatility, my systematic approach to the instrument, and my ability to listen to the student's needs and feedback