Piano Lessons
Frequently Asked Questions for In-Home Piano Lessons
Q: Where are you currently teaching and what are your openings?
A: I currently teach in Southwest Austin (Oak Hill and Circle C Area) Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday, and Dripping Springs on Tuesdays.
Q: What type of lessons do you teach?
A: I teach classical piano, primarily. I focus heavily on reading, technique, style and musicality, and music theory. I also teach jazz and pop pieces, as well as improvisation. I want students to be fluent in as many styles and skills as possible, so I also teach chord charts and lead sheets.
Q: What is your teaching experience like?
A: I’ve taught private piano for 16 years. One of my first students now has her masters in music. I’ve also taught private lessons at Baylor University and University of Oklahoma, as well as group piano classes. I’ve taught piano in community music schools such as Dallas/Music, Sugarland School of Music. I am a faculty member at Austin Community College, and teach Music Appreciation and American Music, as well as collaborative piano as well.
Q: What type of student do you normally teach?
A: I specialise in intermediate and advanced students, including adults. My students age from 5-82, and I would say the median age is about 14. A good fit for me are students that love the piano, who are eager to learn, and are willing to practice. My studio is towards the more serious side. Students perform in studio recitals in May and December, and I try to get each student to do a festival or competition each semester (after a few years of study). I get questions about whether or not I only teach future music majors, and that’s generally not true. I try to prepare my students so that if they want to go further in music they can, but I’m more interested in creating people who love piano than professional pianists. Of course, I am always SO excited when students want to take music major auditions, or do senior recitals.
Q: Why is it important that you perform?
A: I love to play! And I think loving to play the piano is transferred to my students. I learn new things every time I perform, and I relearn old things. It keeps piano continually fresh for me, and it keeps my students from hearing the same things from me too! In the more advanced grades, I’ll find pieces that I really like, and then assign them to my students too. (With the exception of rhythmic integrity and using the metronome, of course!)
Q: How do in-home lessons work? Is there any necessary equipment?
A: Students should have a piano and a bench, adjustable if possible. I am a stickler for posture and technique, as it carries over into students’ outside lives,(we're all digital natives now) so I may at the very least ask for students to sit on phone books/dictionaries. The lesson needs to be in an area of the house that can be reasonably quiet and without distractions for the duration of the lesson. Students will need books, but those will be ordered on an as-needed basis. Additionally, students should keep a notebook with assignment sheets (I’ll provide) and miscellaneous assignments, as well as a pencil.
Q: What will piano lessons cover?
A: I always start with a technical warm-up and have a grade level system that includes scales, chords, cadences, and arpeggios. Some students will have etude or a separate technical exercises book as well. I usually assign and review theory pages after this, and then we work on repertoire. I will typically teach to festivals/recitals that are coming up. In the fall, students do Jazz/Pop/Rock, Solo Contest, and Hymn Festival (I LOVE Christmas music). In the spring, we cover the four periods of classical music: Baroque/Classical, Romantic/Contemporary. Depending on student age, I cover improvisation and pop chording in the summer and throughout the year towards the end of the lesson. I also lump special skills or skills I want students to improve on at the end of the lesson.
Q: Is my child ready for ABRSM exams? What are those exams anyway? What makes you qualified to teach them?
A: ABRSM exams are a rigorous curriculum that is designed to prepare students to be college music majors. Exam elements for performance students include preparing three repertoire pieces, technical elements such as scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and ear-training elements. Other students will want to take the theory exam, which is separate. Students who are consistent about practicing, are reading music fluently, and have steady nerves are ready for the ABRSM exams. I’ve taught students at all level of ABRSM, and more importantly, seen them pass with high marks. The most important part of an ABRSM teacher is finding a teacher who has taught the curriculum before, and finding a teacher who will be honest about your child’s readiness.
Q: How does one prepare a student to take these exams?
A: Students will need to take part in lessons, but weekly practice is necessary. While I would rather students practice until a goal is accomplished, parents want a ballpark for the amount of time that students should expect to practice. Assuming 5 days a week, middle school students should expect to practice 45 minutes a day. High school students should assume 1-3 hours a day.
Q: I'm not sure I want my student in such a strict program as the ABRSM. Are there other options?
A: Truthfully, I like the ABRSM because it gives students a goal. However, there are a lot of factors to consider before putting a student in any event. I offer similar, smaller goals, through ADMTA and TMTA festivals and competitions, as well as private recitals, throughout the year. I find breaking this apart is better for most students, and gives testing students extra practice performing. I also do not do festivals for students in the first year, if not two years of taking music, because I want them to develop naturally as a musician first. Some of my students continue to play the piano at a high level without these tests.