Lesson Formats

Piano lessons are more than just keys

Recognizing the needs of the individual student, as well as the needs of the family, I offer various options for the format of lessons.
 

Traditional “On the Bench” face to face lessons 

Whatever your goals and stage of life, I can provide both the content and the format that you seek, whether you want to play Bach, hymns, praise songs, Blues, or simply want to start with “Hungry Herbie Hippo.”

30 minute lesson for beginners/first year students.
45 minute lesson required for second year students.

”Off the Bench” learning activities 

The OTB option is wonderful if you would like your child to have an additional learning activity such as a music theory game, guided improvisation, videos for introducing or reviewing a concept, composer biographies, and tech based content to reinforce lesson content. 

Video lessons

The virtual lesson package approach is ideal for the student who desires to continue learning and growing, yet has a schedule which doesn’t allow for formal, regular lessons. Video lessons are package based, allowing the student to pursue lessons for a particular set of skills, to meet a particular goal, or have summer lessons while I am away.  

Instructional videos are uploaded on the cloud, along with a package of other content, allowing the student to work according to her own schedule and her own speed. 

Marco polo Lessons

“Marco Polo” lessons are an option for when the student is ill, or cannot make the lesson for another reason. I will base the video instruction upon the previous lesson. The student will then view the video clips and "Marco Polo" me back with a demonstration of having covered the content.

Summer Lessons

Summer lessons have a different vibe with a slower tempo and different focus. Students have the option of lesson packages, according to your availability and your goals. Interested in experimenting with rhythms? Playing pop tunes? Diving into lead sheets such as what your church band uses? Or is there a particular tune which you’ve so long wanted to play? Summer is the time to explore!

Optional Pre-lesson Warm Up

A digital keyboard with headset is available for students to warm up before their lessons. Taking ten minutes to run through the current sight reading and rhythm cards, review a repertoire piece of the previous week, even tap the rhythms to an upcoming piece helps create the optimal learning experience for the weekly lesson.

The keyboard is also ideal for sibling lessons, reviewing concepts from the lesson immediately before departing, but also during the lesson for playing duets/improvisations using different digital sounds.

This delightful young student has been training her ear while learning her solfège (the do, re, mi) hand signs. She selected the song "What Can Wash Away My Sins?" and worked it out by ear in solfège. She dictated the solfège signs to me which I then wrote out in her repertoire book. With the principles which she has learned, she worked out the fingering to the music. She worked on the piece until she could both sing and play it at the same time. As duets are a weekly activity, and as she was comfortable enough, today we did an improvised duet using both pianos. I am SO proud of this young lady!

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