Instrument(s): Bass Guitar, Guitar, Piano, Voice
City: Washington, DC
Education: Capital University
Stanley Spottswood, Jr. is a Washington, D.C. Area Piano, Guitar, and Voice instructor. Growing up in a musical home, Stanley gravitated toward expressing himself through sound, singing, and movement. He found joy in having the freedom to express himself in these ways. Stanley’s Dad taught him the fundamentals about music as well as modeled morality, integrity, and character. Because of this, Stanley has always sought to model after his Dad’s leadership in both musical expression as well as integrity of character.
Stanley graduated from Capital University with a B.A. in Music Technology. He often wrote songs, compositions, and gathered others to record original music. Stanley’s passion for recording music resulted in him sharing his songs on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. He still shares his music on public streaming platforms to this day.
In addition, at Capital University, he studied with master piano technique teacher Seymour Fink, who wrote the popular “Mastering Piano Technique: A Guide for Students, Teachers, and Performers”. Stanley developed a relationship with Fink that went beyond classical piano and oftentimes visited him at his home in Columbus, OH. Stanley cherishes the memories he had with Fink and still uses many of Fink’s techniques in his own teaching and playing.
After college, Stanley began to explore different paths in the world of teaching including private 1-on-1 music lessons, private schools, and public schools. His experience in these settings have allowed him to teach various instruments such as: piano, guitar, voice, dance, drums, ukulele, and even electronic music production. Also, in these same settings, he has sought to widen the age range of his students. Stanley has taught students from ages 4 - 65 years old.
Stanley’s goal and mission as a teacher is to inspire a love for life whilst empowering students to respect themselves and others. He believes that making music is a wonderful pathway for achieving this.