Piano With Nathan

When I meet a new student, I like to learn about their interests at school, at work, and at play. It helps me know how to help them fit piano practice into their life.

If I have a beginner, I acquaint them with the layout of the keyboard, black and white keys, and help them use this layout to memorize key names by their unique shape. For younger students, we make a game out of this, as well as numbering the fingers and telling right from left. We do a little bit of reading as well. I find that these three things give me a sense of how best to proceed.

With more advanced students, I love to hear them play something they love as soon as they feel comfortable doing so...sometimes that won't happen in the first lesson, especially if they have been away from the piano for a while! I like to hear what their goals are and then put together a plan to achieve them.

I have taught private lessons for 22 years. I love working with kids and adults, beginning to advanced! I was self-taught at the piano at first, and it took finding great teachers to help undo some of my bad habits. I majored in piano performance for my undergraduate work, then I continued with a master's degree, also in piano performance. I have played with symphony orchestras and at rock concerts. I love making music, and I love helping others do the same!

I used to play at school and in church, accompanying choirs, playing chamber and solo music. Friends and parents began to ask me for lessons. My piano teacher helped me figure out how to develop a lesson plan, but experience became the best teacher! I fell in love with teaching as I would finish for the day and be left thinking about how I could convey concepts and ideas more clearly, and how I could better motivate students to practice during the week. Teaching is hard work, but it is tremendously rewarding.

I have worked with kids as young as 3 (though I think that the right age to begin ranges from 6-9 for most students) to adults well into retirement. I have taught students with learning disabilities, as well as students for whom the piano came easily. I enjoy the process of fitting piano to the student, not fitting the student to the piano.

I always love when we have our recitals! My students always surprise me with their ability to perform. Many are nervous, and no one plays perfectly. But it is always a wonderful moment in time to celebrate the hard and, sometimes, lonely work of practicing, by playing for friends and family.

Think about your daily routine. Make sure you can find time to practice every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. Daily practice is the surest guarantor to success. But even the most dedicated student has a bad week once in a while. Don't get discouraged.

Think about the music that moves you. Is it exciting? Is it dramatic? Is it gentle and lyrical? Imagine what it would feel like to play that music yourself.

It is also helpful if students are always aware of how confused they are feeling. Feeling unsure of how to practice can often sap motivation to spend time at the piano. Don't be embarrassed if you forget something we discuss in a lesson. We have to hear and then put into practice most concepts many, many times before they become second nature.