Offers online services
About
I teach all ages, at my studio or online if that is preferred. I can come to you, if you're within 10 miles of my location. I have degrees in music and many years experience coaxing the best musicianship from each student. Piano, guitar, voice, mandolin, theory, composition, songwriting, and performance lessons are on offer and I am a performing songwriter myself.
I love everything about it. Seeing students learn to make music they can enjoy, working with them to solve problems or learn new techniques, and watching the joy it brings them brings me joy too.
Specialties
Musical styles
I can make recommendations, Pop, Country, Musical theater
Years experience
Student has no formal training, Student has no formal training; some self-taught experience, 0 – 2 years experience, 2 – 4 years experience, 4+ years of experience
Able to read music
Student can read music, Student cannot read music
Lesson length
30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes
Student's age
5 – 10 years old, 11 – 13 years old, 14 – 18 years old, 19 – 25 years old, 26 – 45 years old
Photos and videos
Reviews
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JD
joe D.
Jan is extremely knowledgeable about Piano,piano techniques ,composition and musicianship In general.Jan is thorough and consistent with the progression of the skills she teaches me.Jan holds me accountable for my practice and expectations.I was a professional Operatic tenor for over 25 years .I always wanted to take Piano lessons and I am more than pleased and pleasantly surprised by my progress.I owe it all to Jan .
April 11, 2024
DZ
Dow Z.
Jan is strict but a lot of fun, and Im learning way faster than I expected to. As long as you practice the things she tells you to practice every week, youll have a great experience
July 31, 2022
•Hired on Lessons
JL
Jasmine L.
She is very nice and patient.
November 03, 2020
•Hired on Lessons
JD
Jeffrey D.
Dear Sir or Madam:
Ms. Jan Seides-Murphy has been our family’s piano teacher since January 2002. In that time, I have watched my daughter (now sixteen) grow into an accomplished, confident pianist whose skills I envy. She recently played Bach’s Invention 13 at a high school UIL competition and received the highest grade. The instructor there pointed out to my daughter how impressed she was on how well she had been educated on even the finest points of playing this piece to its full potential. I believe it is very telling that a number of students at Jan’s last recital have been with her until their high school graduation, having taken lessons from Jan for years.
I started my piano education in my 40s, and although I do not share my daughter’s skills, I am very proud of what I have been able to accomplish in the past few years, as it has been a lifelong dream of mine to play the piano. Jan is flexible in many ways, successfully adapting to students of many ages and skill levels. She is even able to navigate successfully through the various motivation lapses and mood swings that affect students from time to time.
Fundamental to Jan’s success is that she is a professional musician in her own right, and is talented in so many areas (songwriting/voice/guitar/mandolin/piano). There is no problem that a student could have that she is not equipped to handle.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey C. Doughty
August 01, 2017
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Asking them to show me what they already know (if anything) allows me to figure out what method would be best. We talk about how to sit, how to use one's hands We talk about where things are on the instrument, and get comfortable with it. Later on, we start talking about reading music. We also talking about sticking with it through the hard parts, but that we will have a lot of fun on the way.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have degrees in Music from The University of Texas, lifelong experience with making music, and practically lifelong experience teaching.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I recommend 30 minute lessons ($35) for beginners, 45-minutes for those with some experience ($52.50) More advanced students require a full hour ($70). I charge tuition by the month, based on 4 lessons per month. There are a few months where you'd get 5 lessons, and a couple (Spring Break and the winter holidays) when you would get 3 lessons. It all evens out. In the summer you would need to take at least 8 lessons, how ever we can fit them in, to hold your slot.
How did you get started teaching?
My last (and favorite) piano teacher at the University of Texas suggested that I start teaching. She said I'd be good at it. Turns out, she was right. I love teaching music.
What types of students have you worked with?
My youngest student so far was 4 (the age at which I, myself, started lessons), and the oldest was 85 and counting. I've successful taught students with no musical experience, and students at the advanced level. I've also successfully taught students who were on the autism spectrum, and one student with Downs Syndrome. Making music is a human endeavor. If you're human, you can do it.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I had one student who hated scales. Hated them. Gave me a hard time about them at every lesson. Then the band director at his school opened auditions for a percussionist. Said they had to know the keyboard. When he arrived for his audition, she asked which scales he knew. "All of them", he replied. "I mean, which ones can you play?" "All of them." And he sat down and played all of them. He got the job. I got a very nice, if a little sheepish, thank-you note.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be clear on what your goals are, then choose a teacher who can take you beyond them.
Services offered
Guitar
Piano
Singing
Music Theory