Teacher Directory

Founded in 1944 by pianist Virginia Hoff and composer Joyce Barthelson, Hoff-Barthelson Music School is one of the most respected community music schools in the country, serving Westchester County and the New York tri-state area. Located at 25 School Lane in Scarsdale, NY, the school offers individualized music lessons and performance training for children, teens, and adults. Their distinguished faculty includes many who also perform and teach at top conservatories and stages in New York City and beyond. The curriculum features personalized private instruction in over 20 instruments and voice, classroom study in theory, composition, and improvisation, a renowned Suzuki program (piano, violin, viola, cello, and guitar), youth orchestras, chamber music, and extensive performance opportunities including recitals, festivals, workshops, and master classes with renowned guest artists. The school also offers a Summer Arts Program, an Honors Program for gifted students selected through auditions, and an adult program with lessons in classical, jazz, and popular music styles. HBMS alumni have gone on to attend leading conservatories and universities including Juilliard, Eastman, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, and NYU.

Crestwood Music Education Center, established in 1987 and now located at 870 Scarsdale Ave in Scarsdale, NY, is a premier music school in the heart of Westchester County. With a world-class faculty, Crestwood offers tailored one-on-one lessons for a variety of instruments to over 600 students, from toddlers to professionals. The school provides instruction in piano, voice, strings (guitar, violin, viola, cello), woodwinds, brass, guitar, and percussion/drums. Crestwood also offers exciting programs including early education, Suzuki, music theory classes, instrumental ensembles, chamber orchestra, and rock/jazz groups. The school offers lessons both in-person and online, and provides a free trial lesson for new students. With over 35 years of excellence, Crestwood Music Education Center has built a reputation for quality music education in Westchester County.

Dani Perito has traveled world wide as a pianist, multi-keyboardist and Musical Director for legendary artist and Grammy award winning singer Gloria Gaynor. Some of the hit songs performed include the greatest disco anthem of all time: “I Will Survive”, as well as “Never Can Say Goodbye”, “I Am What I Am”, and “How High the Moon”. Dani is a musical director, pianist, keyboard player, teacher, guitarist, bass player, composer, arranger, and studio and touring musician. He began his musical career at thirteen years old, spanning five decades and is known as a seasoned and skilled musician. He performed, composed and recorded for numerous bands in the New York Tri-state area including: The Jazz Interactions Big Band on Broadway, Nat Horne Dance Company at Lincoln Center, ICU at CBGB’s, The Bitter End and Max’s Kansas City, and The Long Island University Brooklyn Jazz Orchestra, where he studied for his music degree with honors. Dani has been teaching piano privately in lower Westchester for over 25 years. He believes every one of his students has a unique set of skills and helps them focus on how to become better musicians and people. Some of his students have performed at Carnegie Hall and many have scored perfect or near perfect scores on all NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) performance levels (1-6). His mission is to make music a part of his students lives forever, while teaching them essential reading skills, and how to enjoy, write and create, appreciate and understand all types of music. He loves sharing the joy of music.🎹

Brendan O'Keefe is an experienced piano teacher who has been teaching piano to all ages in Scarsdale, Edgemont, New Rochelle, and Manhattan for decades. He offers in-home piano lessons as well as remote lessons via Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype, providing flexibility for students with busy schedules. Brendan's teaching approach is patient and individualized, focusing on each student's unique goals and learning style. He works with students of all levels, from beginners to advanced players, covering a wide range of musical styles. His decades of experience have made him a trusted piano instructor in the Westchester community.

Westchester Home Music provides premium, one-on-one in-home music lessons for families who value both excellence and convenience. Their instructors are active professional musicians from the NYC music scene, bringing conservatory-level expertise directly to students' homes. The school offers instruction in piano, guitar, voice, drums, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and all major brass and woodwind instruments, as well as composition, harmony, arranging, and music technology. Lessons are available in 30, 45, and 60-minute lengths for both children and adults, covering classical, jazz, contemporary, Broadway, and popular repertoire. Westchester Home Music serves Scarsdale, White Plains, Bronxville, Harrison, Rye, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Pelham, Eastchester, and surrounding Westchester communities, as well as Manhattan's Upper West Side and Upper East Side. The school is a recipient of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Certification of Excellence and offers curated recitals at professional venues.

Bach to Rock Scarsdale is a modern music school located at 969B Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, NY. The school offers private and group music lessons for students of all ages and skill levels, taught by professional musicians. Private lessons are available in piano and keyboard, guitar, bass, ukulele, drums, voice, brass, strings, woodwinds, songwriting, and DJ. The school's programs include early childhood classes (Rock n Roll for ages 1-3, Rock City for ages 3-5, Kids n Keys for ages 5-7), beginner classes (Piano 101, Guitar 101, Ukulele 101, Drums 101, Voice 101, Songwriting 101, Beat Making 101), rock band programs, glee club, Beat Refinery DJ program, and recording arts. Students can participate in live performance events including Battle of the Bands, Music Showcase, Bachapalooza, and DJ Battle. The school also offers summer camps, birthday parties, and recording studio rentals.

Michael Dawson Crowley (MA, JD) is a classically trained composer, concert pianist, recording artist, and educator from Scarsdale, NY with decades of experience in piano and music education. He earned his master's degree in education from Columbia University, where he designed modern piano curriculum under the guidance of Dino Anagnost and Robert Pace. Michael studied musical composition under Ludmila Ulehla, and his pedagogical lineage traces through the German School via Thomas Robb and Rudolf Serkin back to Carl Czerny and ultimately Ludwig van Beethoven. He holds a teaching license from the New York State Education Department. Before launching his professional music career, Michael taught Music and Social Studies, then earned a JD and practiced law. The Scarsdale Piano School offers in-home lessons across Fox Meadow, Heathcote, Quaker Ridge, Edgewood, and Greenacres, and frequently travels to Eastchester, Bronxville, and other Westchester towns. Zoom lessons are also available. Students learn the music they love, from Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt to The Beatles, Elton John, and Taylor Swift, with custom arrangements created at each student's skill level.