My priority is to help students build a strong foundation of musical knowledge in the belief that possessing a deeper understanding of music leads to a greater enjoyment of playing and fosters a more creative relationship to music. I believe in giving my students, whatever their age or ability, the tools to figure out how to read an appropriately challenging piece of music, learn a simple or not-so-simple song by ear, and to compose and improvise music as I also believe that learning how music is structured helps open student’s minds to the exciting, limitless possibilities of music. My lessons are structured to build those skills through a mixture of technique exercises; learning songs from sheet music, by rote, and/or recordings; and fun improvisation and composition exercises that go hand in hand with learning scales and chords. While that may sound like a lot of work, I strive to make assignments that always attainable and fun, attenuating my lessons accordingly to each individual student’s abilities and interests. I also strongly believe in bringing in videos and recordings to share with my students and encouraging them to listen to music at home to help inspire them and expose them to a wide variety of musical genres. I hope that this approach rewards every student of mine with the same sense of excitement and curiosity that has fueled me to keep learning and composing new music and deeply enriched my life.

Brian Friedland is a versatile and accomplished composer, pianist, performer, and educator.  His musical journey began at age 6 with Suzuki piano lessons and took a major turn at age 12, when he began studying jazz piano, joined the school jazz band, and started writing music for his own groups.  In 2001, he began his teaching career with lessons and co-directed an elementary school jazz choir through USC’s JazzReach program in Los Angeles. After earning a degree in Jazz Studies at USC, Brian continued teaching at various schools and community music organizations in LA while gigging professionally.

Since moving to Boston in 2007 to pursue graduate studies in jazz composition at New England Conservatory, Brian has taught private classical and jazz piano lessons, composition, and jazz ensembles at several community music schools. He is currently an adjunct professor of Harmony (music and composition) at the Berklee College of Music.

As a composer and performer, Friedland’s music showcases relentless creativity across a wide range of genres and ensembles. His recorded works include compositions for chamber orchestra, big band, strings, and various sized jazz groups.  Brian leads several bands and frequently performs around Boston. In addition to performing and recording his own works and creative arrangements, he organizes two concert series at the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain and the Square Root in Roslindale where audiences of all ages can be exposed to awe-inspiring contemporary jazz.

Friedland has released seven albums of original music and performed at various international festivals. His most recent releases are “Household Items: New and Improved Formula” a comedic song cycle based on commercial product labels, “Songs of Hope” a suite of Jazz pieces based on poems by Amanda Gorman, and “the Schoolyard Sessions”, a grant funded project from the City of Boston featuring performers from the Eliot Schoolyard Series.

In addition to his own projects, Friedland is an in-demand freelance pianist, performing and touring with internationally acclaimed acts such as vocalist Andrea Bocelli, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Il Divo.  Friedland has also contributed his talents to many other musician’s recordings, including one by Grammy nominated composer Kim Richmond, and another by former BMS teacher Nick Grondin that received a glowing review in the famed Downbeat Magazine.

Friedland has studied with renowned composers and pianists, including Dave Douglas, Vince Mendoza, and Danilo Perez, and had amazing, caring, and nurturing teachers growing up in Chicago, IL who provided the early inspiration needed to help him become the musician he is today.