Dear Friends,
I love teaching music. I’ve been doing it for 50 years—private lessons in musical composition, theory, classical piano; and also, in classrooms, courses in music history.
Another joy is coaching vocalists—of all styles. Most often I’ve done this as a team, working together with my wife, soprano Carrie Wilson, who teaches singing at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation.
I’d like you to know a little of my personal story as a musician. Likely, you’ll feel related to it. Perhaps, it may even inspire you.
You see, when I was finishing up my undergraduate studies at Oberlin, I felt—as so many musicians do—that even as I was about to receive an academic degree, something big, something crucial, was missing from my musical education.
I also knew that while I had become good at certain aspects of music, I was falling far short of being the full musician I hoped to be.
Well—here’s the thrilling part: I was lucky enough to find what was missing!
I found it in the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism, created by the great poet and critic Eli Siegel. It is, in my careful opinion, the one artistic theory that shows the true relation of Art and Life.
Here is the grand principle Eli Siegel taught:
All beauty is a making one of opposites, and the making one of opposites is what we are going after in ourselves.
What a magnificent idea! Studying it changed my life, and my way of composing and understanding music. Performing it, too.
And teaching it.
I’ve been moved to see, these decades, what a stirring intellectual and artistic effect this way of seeing music has had on my students. Some of what they would like you to know about my teaching, and its impact on their lives and their art, I am grateful to include in the statements below.
And if, after reading what they say, you’d like to be in contact with me about private lessons, and what you are hoping for through them, write to me at this e-mail address:
All the best,
Edward Green
Robert Levin
Composer, Pianist, African Percussionist
Faculty, Montclair State University
If you have a chance to study music with Ed Green, dive in!
Ed is an incredible teacher. He loves music to its core, and he taught me so many valuable lessons that have informed my music making and composition since the late ’80s. Ed is deeply knowledgeable about many styles, and he approaches all music with respect, curiosity, fairness, and a keenly willing ear.
I studied classical piano, music history and theory, and composition with him for about 5 years and got to know him well. I highly recommend studying with Ed to broaden, deepen and hone your musicianship and your understanding of how music expresses life.
Daniel Dickinson
Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist
Member of the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”
There have been very few educators in my life whose knowledge of their subjects can accurately be described as “encyclopedic.” Dr. Edward Green is a prime example. This gives him a rare insight, and the unique ability to provide objectivity to something so commonly elusive as writing music. Having him in the composition department at Manhattan School of Music, as well as studying songwriting with him privately, constantly reinforced for me that music is neither pure instinct nor pure science, but both together. It is plain to me that, once Dr. Green clocks out for the last time, MSM will have a gigantic chasm to fill.
Danielle Good
Singer and Musical Theater Composer
Dr. Green is a professor who helps you prepare in and outside of the classroom for the real world stage. He encouraged me to enter my work into competitions and as a result my musical won a finalist award, prize money, and a show run.
Haroldo Mauro
Composer, Jazz Pianist
Professor, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Playing music, as well as studying and appreciating it, took a wonderful new turn when I had Edward Green as teacher at Manhattan School of Music. His teaching, based on the Aesthetic Realism of Eli Siegel, was scholarly and exciting. Because of that I took private lessons with him that made me understand music on a deeper level. I am grateful.
Larry Hochman
Tony and Emmy-Award Winning Composer/Orchestrator
Dr. Green is a brilliant scholar and composer and much more. As a colleague and teacher, he has given me a deeper insight into music. Dr. Green has an infectious joy of music, and the generosity to share his wealth of knowledge and wisdom with his students. I highly recommend studying with this great teacher.
Phoebe Robertson
Asst. Professor of Music, Arkansas Tech University
Dr. Green was an exceptional advisor for my doctoral dissertation. Not only that, but he has since proven to be a valuable ally as I begin my career in academia. He has inextricably changed my approach to musical scholarship and my philosophical understanding of the relation of art and life through Aesthetic Realism. Now, as I embark on my own journey as a professor, he has continued to be an encouraging presence and has gone out of his way to create opportunities for me to continue to grow.
Yinfei Wang
Concert Pianist; Faculty, Tutti Arts (Little Neck, NY)
Dr. Green guided me through my thesis project and I am truly grateful. He was extremely knowledgeable on my topic: the impact of Chinese folk song on contemporary Chinese piano music. His guidance was clear, insightful, informative, and highly inspiring.
Alan Shapiro
Jazz pianist, arranger, choral director, music educator
I’ve had the pleasure to study with Dr. Green for many years, beginning in his film scoring class at the Manhattan School of Music, and later in private lessons in composition and piano. What an adventure those lessons were! I learned about music in the Western Classical tradition, Jazz, World Music, Rock & Roll, Broadway; about composition, arranging, accompanying—and more. Without exaggeration, not a day goes by that I don’t think of something I’ve learned from him. Ed Green’s wide-ranging scholarship, his enthusiasm for music and for life itself, and the good will he has as a teacher were and continue to be an inspiration. Most important is his knowledge of the Aesthetic Realism of Eli Siegel. Through the principles of this philosophy he has shown me that there are always relations between the techniques of musical works and the everyday life questions of people—my questions. Seeing this makes for emotions and artistic insights that are deep, new, and thrilling! And in lessons when he looked at my own compositions, the questions he asked me enabled me to become a better critic of myself—helped me to see: this is what I’m going after; this is what I’m trying to say; and this is why it matters! I am permanently grateful to Dr. Green for his encouragement of me as musician, educator, and person these nearly 40 years, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to further their study of music.
Soyoung Choe
Concert Pianist and Professor, South Korea
artofthepiano.org/participants/soyoung-choe
I worked with Dr. Green during my doctoral studies; he was my thesis advisor. My subject was the evolution of George Rochberg’s piano music. What can I say? Dr. Green is simply more knowledgeable than anyone else I met in my many years of musical studies. For my thesis, when I was looking for sources, he recommended lots of books and many authors. And he was so very generous with his time! Carefully and enthusiastically he commented on every page of every draft of my thesis. I learned so much from him about composition; about the piano; and also how to write about music. I respect him very much!
Stefano Zenni
Musicologist, Jazz Historian
A few years back, I invited Edward Green to teach a masterclass at the Bologna Conservatory, Italy. His analysis of Duke Ellington’s compositions, supported by the theoretical framework of Aesthetic Realism, was clear and at the same time attentive to all details. He is an exceptional teacher, able to illuminate the object directly and to stimulate the reflections of the students.
Insia Malik
Violinist and Ethnomusicologist
Dr. Green is a dedicated professor and instructor who is encouraging of his students and passionate about connecting them with new musical material. In his course on film music at New York University, I learned a great deal about how the compositional components of a score help elevate the scenes they accompany: many of these iconic film scores have stayed with me all these years because of the care with which Dr. Green taught them.
Rich DeRosa
Grammy-nominated Composer, and Director of Jazz Composition and Arranging, University of North Texas
If you’re looking for a private teacher who can provide valuable insight for music composition, whether for classical or jazz styles, or within the discipline of film scoring, Ed Green is an ideal choice. He is extremely knowledgeable and his pedagogy is very organized. I speak from personal experience; Ed was one of my teachers at Manhattan School of Music.
Andrew Peate
Jazz Double-Bass; Author, and Student of Literature
I cannot overstate the importance of Dr. Green in influencing my life as an artist, as a scholar, as a person among other people. His teaching—grounded in the philosophy of Eli Siegel—is kind, clear, and potent. Like Siegel’s philosophy, it is radical as well as expansive. His scholarship is wide-ranging to an uncommon degree; more significantly, it radiates from his presence: it is alive; he is alive. He makes me want to be a better person: more sincere, more respectful, more honestly critical. It is through Dr. Green that I saw, for the first time, that scholarship could be beautiful: compelling on the level of art; and, over the years, certain seeds that he’s planted have started to bear fruit: I’ve started to see—both through his example and my own studies of Eli Siegel’s philosophy—that a person can be this way, too. I would feel like less of a person if it weren’t for Dr. Green.
Chris Reza
Composer, and Broadway Multi-Instrumentalist
Dr. Ed Green was hands down the most life-changing mentor I have ever had. His holistic approach to music, his craft, pedagogy, experience, and musical prowess make him one of the best teachers you could ask for. He navigates effortlessly between teaching Strauss, The Beatles, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and more, revealing the universal musical truths that all aspiring composers must learn. Study with Dr. Ed Green, and watch your musicianship blossom.
Fan Ruilong
Pianist; Faculty, Shaoxing University, China
http://ysxy.usx.edu.cn/info/1126/3285.htm
I still remember the first time I attended a class by Dr. Green, where he talked about the connection between dance and music. So far, my research had covered East Asian opera and dance. Dr. Green opened a new window for me, allowing me to experience music from a universal perspective!
Michael Kaykov
Concert Pianist; Music Theorist
Dr. Green is a wonderful teacher: deeply knowledgeable, patient, and passionate about music. During my doctoral studies in piano performance at Manhattan School of Music, I was searching for an advisor for my thesis on Scriabin’s late piano music. It was a highly specific, and deeply theoretical topic, so I needed someone who could guide me on every aspect of it. Well, Dr. Green took my thesis further than I ever anticipated, and helped me explore this wonderful music from an important new angle: linking the evolution of the composer’s philosophy to the technical evolution of his harmonic language—especially the music of his late-period, which defies traditional methods of analysis. And his kindness didn’t end there; even after graduation, Dr. Green continued to take a large and active interest in my career. I am grateful that, as I prepared highly theoretical scholarly articles for publication (in IRASM, ICONI, and PMN), he was so generous with his time. We conferred often, and I benefited profoundly from his expertise in music theory, music history, and composition. And also from his keen literary sense of what makes for clear and engaging musicological prose!
Kenneth Berger
Composer/Arranger; Saxophonist; Jazz Educator & Historian
As an active professional jazz player, composer and arranger I was looking to broaden my horizons and add to my knowledge of formal composition. Ed came recommended by some excellent musicians I knew who had taken both private lessons and classes with him at the Manhattan School Of Music. I found his teaching to be both encouraging and inspiring and his knowledge of examples of various techniques used throughout the classical repertoire to be encyclopedic. I was particularly impressed by his ability to diagnose both the strengths and weaknesses in my abilities and point me in the right direction. I highly recommend him.
Gregory Nissen
Composer
I’ve known Professor Green for 38 years, as a student and as an advisor to my compositional work. I always learn from his generous feedback. His approach to music includes not only the artistic issue at hand, but also the technical, historical, cultural, and philosophical dimensions—a thinking musician!
Frank Griffith
Saxophonist, clarinetist, composer/arranger.
Lecturer at Brunel University (UK) 1997-2017.
Ed Green is a unique treasure as a musical educator. While doing a Masters in Jazz and Commercial Music at Manhattan School of Music, I wisely opted for his classes in Duke Ellington and Songwriting. He taught with an equal mix of love, and challenging expectations of the students. A truly standout figure as a teacher, composer and musical philosopher.
Derek Cooper
Composer; Associate Dean of Musicianship and Music Technology, Hoff-Barthelson Music School
Studying with Dr. Edward Green gave me insights into my own music that I had never realized before. I’ve been inspired to be a more enthusiastic and passionate teacher and have used much of what I was taught to further pursue new forays into music theory and film scoring.
Gilad Benamram
Film Composer, Director of Everbliss Music (Israel)
I am eternally grateful for the invaluable lessons, unwavering support, and guidance that Dr. Edward Green has provided me throughout my music composition studies. His expertise in film composing expanded my skills, deepened my understanding of the narrative power of music, and instilled the confidence to thrive in the industry. The comprehensive curriculum and hands-on approach of my studies with Dr. Green expanded my musical horizons, enabling me to explore diverse genres, experiment with unconventional instrumentation, and master the art of orchestration. His constructive feedback and encouragement helped me embrace both my personal creative instincts, while at the same time striving for technical excellence.