Teacher Profile: Grant Burgess

About Grant Burgess

Grant Burgess is a Piano, Guitar, and Voice instructor based in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. He started his Piano study formally when he was 14 years old and has been singing in choirs since middle school. He is a keyboardist and back-up vocalist in a band called Up All Night, and he is an active performer in venues all over the DC and NoVa area. Grant is also the Music Director and Pianist for Unity Church in Chantilly, and he currently plays solo gigs throughout the DMV area. These include monthly performances at Fat Tuesday’s and a number of local retirement communities -- the latter of which he’s served for over 3 years. Grant's wide repertoire includes everything from show tunes to Frank Sinatra to gospel classics, popular music, and more! He finds a lot of joy in performing music that will get a crowd on their feet.

Grant has been an active teacher since graduating from George Mason University and believes in an approach that addresses each student as an individual. He varies his method selection between students as part of this and enjoys incorporating material they enjoy. Grant believes that while it's important to learn the fundamentals -- such as learning chords, scales, arpeggios, and proper finger positioning and usage -- but beyond that, each student has their own unique path. He strives to uncover that path through his teaching and tailor a plan to where students would like to focus. Grant's individualistic approach to teaching even includes using arranging software to create level-appropriate versions of songs that his students request! This practice is a favorite in his studio and leaves students feeling included in the lesson plan and part of their own trajectory. Learning by ear, improvisation, and composition are explored extensively as tools alongside regular note-reading, as Grant sees having a wide variety of musical skills in addition to reading to be crucial for a balanced course of music study.

Grant works with Piano, Voice, and Guitar students of all ages and genres! He is excited to be part of his students' musical experience and believes that studying an instrument is much greater than the music we create -- it's a source of creativity and un-ending expression.