Ronald enjoys teaching all levels of students, from beginner to advanced, and all ages of students, from youth to teen, adult and students who used to play but have decided to pick it up again after time away.

“I enjoy teaching beginners as much as I do students who have taken lessons before,” Ronald says. “I have had much success with adults returning to lessons. It’s all about helping my students improve their skills while enjoying their time at the keys.”

Ronald has loved playing piano since the age of eight, when he took his first piano lesson. As a teenager, he accompanied the vocalists in church, and soon played piano for the church and led the choir.

At 17, he considered giving up music, but on a trip to Europe he sat down at a piano and tickled the keys for his own enjoyment. When one of the chaperones overheard, she told him he was very talented – which meant a lot, considering she had graduated from a music conservatory.

Upon his return to the U.S., he says he found the greatest teacher in Jacksonville, Florida – Dr. Yessin, who studied with the great Rosina Lhevine, who taught Van Cliburn and John Williams. “Thanks to Dr. Gerson Yessin and many years of practice, I learned to master the arts of both playing and teaching,” Ronald says. “And I have absolutely loved doing exactly that for more than 40 years.”

Twice, Ronald was invited to be the Jacksonville piano teacher to play in the annual Piano Teachers convention. “This was was such an honor,” he says. “I literally still play the piano at least 3 to 4 hours every day, still play professionally, and when I am a hundred years old, I plan to still be performing and giving concerts!”

He currently lives in Jacksonville, FL, and provides lessons to students in the area, including Orange Park, Ponte Vedra Beach, and the First Coast area. If you’re farther away, individual lessons are available via Zoom.

“Ronald is always enthusiastic about teaching our young students piano and he is always willing to share his experience and love of playing the piano. He is always working to make sure all of his students are mastering the lessons he puts before them. Ronald always encourages them to take what they learn and practice to become better at their ability to play piano. He is friendly and patient, and …his commitment to his students is evident. He sees each student as an individual and works with their strengths to teach them in ways that work best for them…. I highly recommend Ronald as a Piano Instructor.”

– Kim Lewis, BFI – Youth Outreach & Evangelism, The Salvation Army of Clay County