1. Are you currently accepting new students?
My piano studio is currently at full capacity. I will put all new inquiries on a waitlist and reach out as space becomes available.
2. What length of piano lessons would you recommend?
The majority of my piano students take 30 minute lessons and that tends to fit most students' needs. However, for students who are very young and whose attention starts to wane after about 15 minutes, I would recommend starting there and slowly building up to 30 minutes. For my more mature students who are interested in a more comprehensive lesson with technique, theory, and more advanced repertoire, I recommend building from 30 up to 45 minutes.
3. What practice advice do you have?
There is a lot of value in creating a daily practice routine just as doing homework or brushing your teeth is part of your daily routine. I would recommend starting with 15 minutes of practice each day to start. This can include writing or theory homework as well as lesson book pieces or even other technical exercise I may go over in lesson. For the very young students, I would recommend parents to sit with their child for supervised practice.
More than anything, I would advise that quality is much more important than quantity and this is a frequent discussion I have with students in lesson. Did they play the same line 10x exactly the same with a wandering mind? Or are their minds actively involved by listening and asking themselves questions like :
- What was the hardest part?
- Can I start right on the hardest part and focus on such a small chunk of it that I can nail it right away? Then I can add a little bit more at a time until I've tackled the whole hard part!
- When I practice, can I play it so slow that I can nail it 5x in a row perfectly? Practice makes permanent!
- Each day that I practice, I know this will be the hardest part for me, so I should start there and really work on mastering it before rewarding myself by getting to play the whole song. It gets ahead of any frustration I will feel if I play through first and keep messing up the hard parts.
- What musical aspects can I focus on improving? Notes, rhythms, dynamics, articulation, pedal, timing, etc.
- What technical aspects can I focus on improving? Curved fingers, sitting up straight, feet planted, relaxed shoulders, releasing tension in the wrists, etc.
By asking these types of questions, there is no way that a student would play the same line 10x exactly the same because there would be some new thing to focus on improving all the time! Students will not only gain physical abilities on the piano, but they will also gradually develop problem solving skills.
4. Are there any opportunities to play piano with others?
Yes! Absolutely! The most convenient arrangement is to play with siblings, but there is also opportunity to play with other students in my studio around the same age and playing level! This will take some coordinating with rehearsing outside of lessons and even arranging lessons with both partners - but well worth the effort!