Study Accordion Pianist Organist Accordionist Composer Conductor Author Educator with Henry Doktorski

Henry Doktorski is not simply an accordion teacher; he is a personal trainer. Just as a serious bodybuilder needs a serious personal trainer, an student of the accordion who wants to improve needs a teacher who can lead the way.

Doktorski is accepting a limited number of serious students who are interested in studying accordion technique and interpretive musicianship with a professional concert accordionist. Stradella and Free-Bass left-hand systems both accepted.

Doktorski specializes in classical or semi-classical works, but will also guide students who wish to play jazz, standards, and folk music with correct stylistic interpretation. Weekly lessons can be either 30 minutes or 60 minutes in length and are conducted by speakerphone.

Two students provided testimonials:

I am delighted and honored to have the opportunity to study with Henry Doktorski. I saw him play and teach at an accordion festival, and thought how great it would be if I could study with him. Maybe I could leap from the lower depths of accordion playing to starry heights or at least to a respectable reliable intermediate level. For the past several months I have been taking lessons by telephone with Henry and it has been a wonderful experience: He is both a virtuoso player and a virtuoso teacher, a quite rare combination. He is very encouraging, explains and explicates concepts fully, patiently and clearly. He is challenging and encouraging, enabling you to do things that you did not think were possible--at least not for a very long time. He is tremendously creative, able to think on the spot and out of the box (what a terrible mixing of idioms--but boy is it true). He provides ideas and solutions to problems that I have never thought of and quietly introduces music history, theory, techniques, performance, etc., into the lesson. His standards and expectations are very high and he somehow makes it possible for you to achieve more than you thought possible. He is very down to earth and practical, enjoys all kinds of music and is without snobbery or pretension of any kind. I commend him as a fine lovely person and recommend him to anyone at any level who wants to study the accordion. Toby Harke Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I am 73 years old - studied and taught accordion during the '50s and '60s. I decided a few months ago that it might be fun to perform a recital for my 75th birthday. I listened to myself on tape and was not pleased with my performance. I realized I need professional help - and so looked around for a teacher whose performances pleased me. There were no teachers close to home, but I thought of Henry Doktorski, as I had purchased several of his CDs, and attended two of his live performances. I was impressed in several ways: with his musicality (musical sensitivity or talent), his "approach to music." By that I mean, his approach to a particular piece of music - especially his phrasing. His phrasing is unique and pleasant and sounds deceptively easy, his professional background in piano, organ, and other instruments, and his large and small ensemble experiences, his graduate school music educational background - which is very important to me, his critique. If a prospective student reads his reviews of performances and/or recordings - you know you are going to get an honest critique, his seriousness, and his sense of humor. So I began studying with Henry by telephone. Speaker phone lessons are convenient for both teacher and student: no travel, no distractions, disruptions, privacy. Hey, you can even take a lesson in your "jammies"! As to the "improvement in my playing since taking lessons with Henry," - I can say that he brought to my attention aspects of my playing that I never heard and wouldn't have heard on my own - situations that needed immediate attention - i.e., unison passages of right and left hand in which the two hands were not perfectly together. I never would have heard that on my own. Also, the cutting off of notes prematurely. Prematurely getting to the next note, phrase, or measure. Getting to the next note, phrase, or measure too late. Tempo problems. Bellows reversing problems, etc. I also discovered that Henry has the patience of Job! And that is a testimonial! Joan Gilyeat Moyer Indianapolis, Indiana

For teaching rates, contact Doktorski by telephone at 724-693-8752 or e-mail him at