Rufus

Pianist/Composer/Cellist Rufus Bordal is an experienced performer across multiple genres with a passion for teaching. Growing up in Los Angeles, Rufus maintained an intensive focus on his classical piano studies, winning numerous piano competitions and performing as concerto soloist with orchestras around town such as the USC Student Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Pasadena Community Orchestra among many others. Rufus continued his studies as a Trustee Scholar at USC with Jeffrey Kahane where he earned his Bachelors of Music in Classical Piano Performance with a Minor in Jazz Studies. After graduating in 2023, Rufus now spends his time performing in jazz and fusion bands around town at venues like The Mint and The Venice West, playing at restaurants and private events, accompanying students, and teaching private lessons to all ages. With 3 years experience teaching music, here’s what Rufus has to say about his approach to teaching:

“I think the most important part of any music education is to develop a student’s passion and connection to music. While I’ve intensively studied classical piano for many years, I understand that becoming a concert pianist is not everyone’s goal. I believe helping a student find/explore their passion and their own personal connection to music is what leads to a lifetime of musical fulfillment.

Developing students into well-rounded musicians is an important priority for me as a teacher. Being able to shred Chopin Etudes while having little understanding of chords and music theory means that your skills at the instrument won’t translate well to other applications like writing your own music, improvising, or playing pop songs.

Conversely, being able to write great songs while having little technical proficiency at the instrument will make playing them more of a challenge. Becoming more varied in my skills and knowledge has made me a better musician no matter if I’m playing Rachmaninoff or a pop/jazz tune.

I also believe that musical instruction can be valuable no matter your age. While many adults I’ve spoken to say that they wish they’d taken lessons as a kid or wish they hadn’t stopped lessons, I always tell them that it’s never too late to learn/relearn. I’ve had a few adult students for whom taking lessons has been very rewarding and has resulted in significant progress.