Piano Lessons in Sparks, NV

Instruments: Piano

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
The ability to practice affectively takes time. For the beginning student it may, at times, feel tedious. My job it to break the materials apart into workable pieces for the beginning student. This means creating reasonable practice assignments based on how a student is accessed. For a beginning student I might expect 15 to 25 minutes 5 days a week. In a few weeks this should give us some idea how students use their practice time and how quickly they might progress. The riddle to solve is how to keep it interesting and fun for a student without short changing their true ability or musical aptitude.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
At times you don't know. Of course if a child expresses interest or excitement over some musical activity or event it might be obvious that it's time. However, for many families it is believed that music should be a part of a child's education curriculum and music will be approached as any other aspect of their academic development takes place. In this case, when the study of music becomes a non-negotiable part of a child's education you can only hope you find a teacher who can make it fun while at the same time not compromising on the actual study of music.

When will I start to see results?
If all goes well you should see results in the first few moments. Learning to play the piano and the language of music is like many other things. Learning is cumulative. As soon as a beginning student understands the layout of the keyboard, the names of the keys, how the musical staves work as well as simple rudimentary rhythm notation they are able to play simple tunes as well as understand what they are doing. Also, like many other activities that require effort and an investment in time, music is one of those things where you get out of it what you put into it. Once a beginning student is able to play a familiar tune they become motivated to spend more time at it, they discover they are better able to focus and develop the discipline necessary at a rate that may surprise everyone. The student included.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I had a number of inspirational teachers. When I went to my first teacher I already had a good understanding of the language of music .. the notation etc. and was able to play intermediate pieces. When I told her I wanted to play Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, which I was not at all ready to play, she said "Let's see what we need to do to get there.". That was the beginning of an entire education in technique Once I started college I had a number of other wonderful teachers both for piano as well as in theory, counterpoint and composition. It was in college that I learned that most good teachers have a lot to offer a motivated student. There is a point where it is up to the student to glean as much as they are able to that particular teacher. And I was hungry enough to learn a lot.

Read More