Piano Lessons in Northfield, IL

Instruments: Piano

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
From when I started playing piano to when I stopped in high school, I had the same teacher Faith Gaskell. She made the lessons fun by having games and prizes for passing each song or scale. She encouraged me and kept me interested in piano and music. My teachers in college, Olga and Janice, have really inspired me when I felt like giving up and believing in me. They knew that I am talented and encouraged me in private lessons and in public performances. Also other musicians who play many instruments inspire me to keep playing.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
A child is ready to start lessons if they are expressing an interest in learning an instrument. Many parents want their child to play an instrument for a variety of reasons. But if the child is not interested there might be trouble getting them to practice. Children can get very distracted easily, so being able to focus and sit for thirty minutes for the lesson and for practicing is ideal.

When will I start to see results?
Results will be different for each student. Some students progress faster than others, but some take more time and practice. Slower progress is not a bad thing. I think that every lesson the student should be learning something new. For beginners, the students start learning how to play the notes on the piano before reading the music on the paper. Depending on how quick (and how much practicing) they pick it up results should be seen within the first few weeks. I assign at least one song from the lesson book each week.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Growing up the instruments I mostly heard and saw people playing were string, brass, or percussion. My older brother played the violin. My other brother started playing piano but quit after a while. Initially I choose piano because my brother was playing. But as I started I really enjoyed playing the piano being inspired by my piano teachers. While I've tried to started learning another instrument (guitar) I just did not enjoy it enough to continue on to private lessons. I've always appreciated the love of playing the piano.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
There are some ways I have taught for practicing effectively. One way I tell my students if there are having difficulties is to practice hands separately. Sometimes the melody has a difficult rhythm or there are many chord changes. Playing the song in sections is another effective practice. Taking four measure bars of music to play ten times or more is helpful. Some students play songs to quickly then slow down when the more difficult part comes up. Telling them start the song at a slower tempo should help with practicing. If they can play with accuracy slower, then they will gradually play faster to get up to the appropriate speed.

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