Piano
Samuel Debold began playing piano at the age of four, motivated by a desire to develop a true passion for music. Throughout his school years, music remained a central part of his life. He served as the choir accompanist for the 5th and 6th-grade choirs at his elementary school and expanded his musical skills by taking up the clarinet in sixth grade. In middle school, he added alto saxophone to his repertoire, eventually switching to tenor saxophone in high school. Since then, Samuel has explored and performed on a wide variety of instruments.
He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Music Performance from Northern Virginia Community College, where he was awarded the prestigious Betty Scholarship, an award named in honor of Betty Brown, a longtime French horn player with the Alexandria Band. Samuel was recognized as a model student and a person of strong moral character, making him an asset to the college’s music program.
In May 2025, Samuel graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Piano Performance and a minor in Jazz Piano Performance. During his time at George Mason’s Dewberry School of Music, he was deeply involved in both classical and jazz studies. He performed nearly 90 minutes of memorized classical repertoire, featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, Haydn, and Brahms, in both his junior and senior recitals. Samuel also played piano for the university’s Jazz Workshop Ensemble and Jazz Instrumental Ensemble.
The highlight of Samuel’s musical journey so far has been performing for diverse audiences in both academic and community settings. Among the most influential people in his development was Leah Kmetz, a teacher who challenged him to excel and helped prepare him for college and beyond. Her mentorship was both rigorous and supportive, encouraging him to set high goals and believe in his potential.
Samuel’s interest in teaching began when he took a piano pedagogy course at George Mason, where he learned foundational methods for teaching young students. He now aims to pass on his love of music by tailoring lessons to each student’s needs. He believes there’s no one “right way” to learn and is committed to helping students grow at their own pace. His approach often involves breaking down challenges into manageable steps, for instance, guiding students to master a piece of music one measure at a time. Through his teaching, Samuel strives to foster confidence, creativity, and a lifelong enjoyment of music in his students.