[…] He skillfully provided well-formulated guidance and practical solutions even for complex issues, ensuring that all students could pass their exams. He particularly approached ear training in a playful manner, incorporating examples from the students’ musical environment and consistently motivating the group to actively participate each week. His work ultimately contributed to a constructive atmosphere in my own teaching and sparked the participants’ interest in deeper explorations of music theoretical perspectives on music.

Piano lessons are like playing with fire… because you quickly encounter teachers with unrealistic expectations, vastly different intentions, or lacking expertise. Thus, within a week of speed-dating teachers, one starts playing Chopin, the Flea Waltz, and the C major scale. That burns. As a little boy, I had to struggle through some pieces, read some notes without even understanding what I was doing until I finally arrived and stayed with Samuel. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t just memorizing pieces – I was actually learning to play the piano. Over the many years of lessons, I not only acquired proper technique but Samuel also clearly addressed my desires. First, songwriting, composing, later on jazz theory and harmony. Singing intervals? Let’s go. Talking for hours about music that excites me? If I want to… The incredible thing is that Samuel knows about all my desires. The first song I wrote in class turned out so awesome that I’m still proud of it today. Now I’m 19 years old. I’ve moved out, hadn’t had piano lessons for a long time, am standing on my own two feet – and I’m using my (very limited) student funds to continue taking lessons with Samuel. Nowadays, not at the keys but in music production. A field where Samuel also slaps. I hope to be as awesome someday. Musically, Samuel has influenced me like hardly anyone else. I’ve never lost my love for music and will continue to take lessons with him in the coming years. Piano lessons are like playing with fire; Samuel rescued me from the flames of tedious sheet music and ignited something new in me: passion.

I started taking piano lessons with Samu last year (2020) and quickly realized that I actually really want to produce music. So we mostly switched to production lessons. Within half a year, Samu prepared me from scratch for the entrance exams at the renowned Pop Academy in Mannheim, both in music theory and production practice, so that I actually got one of the thirty coveted spots! Everything always went super casually and friendly. He could recognize my strengths and weaknesses very well, thus addressing my personal learning behavior extremely individually. I couldn’t have chosen a better teacher, thank you very much, Samu!

[…] Both professionally and didactically, Samuel independently and expertly planned the series. He succeeded in accompanying and inspiring the young people in their own pace of creative process. The individual steps were very well structured and enabled the workshop participants to quickly handle the software independently to realize their own musical ideas with it. Samuel’s years of experience in handling Ableton LIVE and the Push Controller’s hardware and software and his style of conveying motivated the workshop participants to creative music productions, which were eventually presented. Through his sympathetic and competent manner, he created a conducive and pleasant workshop atmosphere, patiently adapting to the different levels of knowledge and learning speeds.