Why should you take Private Lessons?
Playing piano is truly an amazing experience. The piano tests your focus, concentration, comprehension, and ability to go into your imagination creating an art form while keeping your skills under control.
Deciding to learn something new or further develop a skill is an adventure. With a good guide, the experience is magical.
The teacher and the student communicate in very personal ways. A bond forms that may last a lifetime. The age of the student does not matter, it happens to young and mature students alike.
In a studio concert an 8-year-old experienced stage fright. He knew his music and played it well, but got on stage and froze. The look on his face brought me to tears. I joined him on stage and had him look at me away from the audience. I engaged him in a silly conversation and got him to laugh. After a few minutes of engaging each other, I asked if he was ready to play his composition. He said YES! The audience was told to get ready for a special treat. He grinned and attached Stuck on C by Robert Vandall with amazing energy and fun. He is currently an actor, songwriter, and performer in Europe. As an adult, he sent me a message that that encounter was what sent him forward to his career. Had he not faced his stage fright, he would not be where he is today. ( Tyler Collins: Winner Best Music and Sound 2016 Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland. Barman in 2018 UK tour of “Sunshine on Leith”. Appears as an actor in Outlander, Anna, and the Apocalypse, and Where Do We Go From Here? He is currently working on a solo album. )
Music goes to a very personal place in your heart.
The piano is considered the KING of all instruments because it is a complete experience.
Instruments in the organ and guitar family also have this capability, but no other instrument creates its own full complete sound like a piano. The flute, trumpet, and others need an accompanist, band or orchestra to bring out the magic they create.
Private lessons offer growth not achieved anywhere else in your life.
• You receive the full attention and focus of the teacher.
• The student is also more deeply engaged in the lesson because of fewer distractions.
• Praise and corrections are immediate in relationship to the task performed.
• Your progress is a private affair between the teacher and the student. No outside judgment is encountered or allowed.
• You learn how to problem solve, sometimes on the fly.
• You learn that there is meaning under the black and white of the notes. That meaning is where music lives. If you understand what you are playing then you are able to improvise when life goes crazy. No shame for dishonoring the composition, but great satisfaction that you are able to save yourself when the need arises. That is being a musician!
You learn how to work through frustration
You learn how to show people your innermost feelings, the ones you don’t normally share. Playing piano is similar to sharing your most private tears, fears and hopes with your pet. Music listens without passing judgment and is happy to be with you simply because you are you. With the right teacher, you learn how to show these emotions to other people through music.
Learning anything has good and bad days. What do you do on a bad day?
• Walk away for a few minutes.
• Try to understand what causes your frustration. Often the source is not practicing. Other concerns may influence your ability to focus.
• Relax, then try again. If still having trouble, play something else you enjoy.
• Do not give up, laugh at yourself and enjoy what went right.
• Play slower and in smaller sections.
• Reward yourself when you succeed. A few M&M candies can make all the difference.
• Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason, it is just the fun of being human.
A sense of humor is required!
We laugh at our mistakes or whatever it was that went a different way than we intended.
In a student concert, a 6-year-old student was performing Ode to Joy by Beethoven and arranged by Randy Faber. She was really uncomfortable playing a solo so I agreed to play the accompaniment with her and we would do the performance together. I have no clue why, but my brain went totally out to lunch. She played well, but my part was all wrong. We stopped playing and looked at each other, she in fear, me in amazement. I laughed, stood up and explained to the audience that the fault in our performance was mine. Gave the student a hug for bravely playing on when she knew we were OFF. Told the audience that was our warm-up and now we will perform for real. We were spectacular! I could have easily placed blame on the child, who would know? Because I owned my error, the child learned it was OK to mess up. Performing is not all or nothing. We are both human and things happen. Just laugh and find the good in what happened.
Choose the right teacher!
Choose the right teacher!
Private lessons may need some spice.
Keyboard Ensemble playing gives the spice needed. Using multiple digital keyboards and upright acoustic pianos six to twelve students play together. Music is available as duets (2-parts), trios (3- parts) and more. It all depends on the performance level of the students involved. The digital keyboards are set to different sounds creating a digital orchestra, and the acoustic pianos are happy to be what they are.
Ensemble playing is a great teacher. You must use your note reading and rhythm skills accurately or the ensemble is a hot mess. If mistakes happen blame is not placed on anyone...only me asking if anyone wants extra help, or may we start a measure 5 and try again. This is great fun for any age.
In Anchorage, Alaska the teacher’s association asked teachers to play in an ensemble. The composition was Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik arranged for eight pianos, two parts for each piano. We thoroughly enjoyed each other as we prepared that ensemble.
Requirements
• Bring a sense of humor
• A digital keyboard (61 keys, 76 keys, or 88 keys) or an acoustic piano
