Piano, Guitar, Drum
Adam Barnett began his journey with music at the age of 4, playing the guitar, an instrument he called a "deetar" at the time. Throughout his teaching journey, he has taught ages from as young as 3 to as old as 77. He has also taught children with special needs in collaboration with the Arabesque School of Music and the Regional Center in Los Angeles, as well as at-risk youth through a group piano program he designed in partnership with the Plano Symphony Orchestra and Salvation Army in Plano, Texas. He has been teaching music since 2015, either through the schools he attended, his private studio, or various music institutions.
After earning an Associate's degree in Music from Collin College in 2016, he attended the University of Southern California on a full scholarship. There, he studied composition under Frank Ticheli, Ted Hearne, and Sean Friar. He also studied a variety of instruments under different teachers at the school, including David Arnay (piano) and Pat Metheny (guitar). After graduating, he worked in the film industry as a composer. During this time, he collaborated with companies such as Air Jordan, Vice, Slam Magazine, and Journeyman Pictures. He also worked with the artist mk.gee and produced for several pop starlets.
During the pandemic, he completed a 4-month residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos. Since then, he has taught at several schools, including the Avalon School of Music in Wylie and the Arabesque School of Music in Los Angeles. He most recently earned a Master's degree from CalArts. Adam's approach to teaching is student-driven. He often makes arrangements based on the repertoire that the student wants to learn and incorporates it into the broader curriculum that he teaches. He is trained in the Taubman technique on piano. Using humor and various impromptu games, he makes the lessons enjoyable while still challenging students to get their money's worth in terms of knowledge and practical skills.