Piano Lessons in Arlington, VA

Instruments: Piano Voice

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Effective practice goes beyond simple repetition. When you sit down to practice, start with something you enjoy playing {or singing} as part of your warm-up routine, then start your actual work. If you're starting a new piece, begin by looking through the music - take note of the rhythm, key signature, accidentals, etc., then slowly sight-read through the piece. Divide the piece into sections and take it one section at a time. When working on a section, play through it, then decide which chunks need the most focus - it can be as long as a phrase or as short as a measure or two, or even just a motive. Figure out what you can do to make that small section better, be it fingering changes, hands-separate practice, working with rhythms, etc. Eventually, you can piece the larger sections together and get something great!

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If your child shows a genuine interest in making music, they are ready. Depending on the age of your child, talk to them about starting lessons, and ask them questions, such as: How much time do they have to practice each day/week? Do they understand that it will take time and practice to become proficient? What are their musical goals? What kind of music do they want to learn? If they can answer some of these questions, they should be ready to succeed in music. A trial lesson is a great way for both the student and the teacher to determine if the student is ready.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I like to use the Bastien Piano Basics series for my young piano students, because it is what I primarily learned with. I also like the Piano Adventures series; over the past year or so I've become pretty familiar with the series, and it has a lot of good things to offer - the pacing and organization is great. For adults, the Alfred piano course is good, though depending on the capabilities of older students, I may just teach through repertoire. For very young students, adding a bit of the Kodaly method into the lessons helps as well - using folk songs/singing to teach musical concepts.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music definitely runs in my family. My mom's family is very large - there are 11 kids - and all of them sing and/or play an instrument, and just about all of them have been in a band at some point in their life. My mom is a singer/songwriter with multiple recordings. My dad's parents toured the country listening to polka bands, but my dad ended up getting into drumming. All of my 7 siblings are musical, too: we have pianists, singers, a drummer, a guitarist, and a potential violinist. We love singing together and making up goofy songs with each other.

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