Piano Lessons in Elmhurst, IL

Instruments: Cello Bass Guitar Double Bass Music

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Many! One of my students who I've known since she was a very young--maybe 10 years old--recently got accepted into the college of her choice to pursue a career as a professional cellist. Using the skills and musicality she was able to develop during our time together, her audition performance not only landed her acceptance, but a full ride scholarship for a 4-year degree with room and board included as well! To contrast, an adult composition student I had wanted to learn enough and hone her skills so she could land some gigs writing for film and TV. She's done it! She's been to Hollywood and is still climbing her career ladder while being a full-time wife and mother to many children.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
As the great Duke Ellington once said, "There are only two kinds of music--good music and the other kind." Personally, though, I love to play the music that makes people feel something, whether that's to dance and have a good time or to sink under the weight of an emotional musical experience.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
You can get pretty far and make good use of your time and efforts by finding something to practice that directly targets a small and specific aspect of your playing and find ways to apply it musically. Make sure you have a clear goal in mind beforehand.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
Children are often more capable than we sometimes assume them to be. From my experience, age alone does not determine how effective lessons may be for a child. However, their ability to focus, their level of maturity, and, perhaps most importantly, their desire to learn have shown to be great signifiers of how effective music lessons may be for a child. On the other hand, sometimes children who aren't showing these qualities yet just need that extra push that music lessons offer--a task that they can set their mind to, a goal that they can work towards, and a non-parental figure to show them the importance of the things their parents/guardians are trying to teach them at home, such as patience, perseverance, hard work, etc. Anecdotally, as someone who doesn't typically teach 'the big three' (piano, voice, and guitar), I've noticed that my young students who study a less common instrument, like the cello or bass, are introduced to an entirely different degree of commitment and determination than that of their peers, who are all learning the more popular instruments.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I take from a variety of different methods, such as Suzuki and Hal Leonard, as well as some methods I've adopted from former teachers. Please see the Teaching Philosophy and Teaching Resources section in my Lesson Handbook to learn more, which can be found on my website here: https://dzubel.wixsite.com/dantezubel/lessons

When will I start to see results?
Immediately! Of course, you can only expect to get out of something what you invest into it, but I have never had a student who didn't walk out the door learning something valuable after their first lesson.

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