Hi! I’m Daniel Markowitz..
..The instructor and founder of production playground. I’ve been teaching kids for more than a decade as an enrichment and piano teacher, and I love helping students discover the moment when creativity “clicks.”
I earned my degree in music performance from San Francisco State University, and since then I’ve spent my time playing live, teaching, and working on all kinds of multimedia projects—the kind that blend music, visuals, and storytelling.
Production Playground is where all of that comes together: a place where kids learn real creative skills with today’s tools, and leave class thinking, “wait… I can actually do this.”
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is to make learning fun. I give young people the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to develop and share their unique creative expression with the world. Participants don’t need any prior experience with music or art. All they need is curiosity and willingness to explore. I use a project-based approach because it’s an effective way to break down complex processes into logical steps that young people can master. Each block they complete builds their confidence and helps them develop positive self-esteem, pride in their work, and the courage to keep experimenting.
“Why I Built This”
Kids deserve more from life than watching YouTube and playing video games. I want students to use the powerful tools they already have to express themselves, build skills they can grow into, and experience the pride of finishing something they made from scratch.