Debra J. says, "I decided to learn to play the piano for my senior project and luckily I discovered Ms. Kathy from some friends at school. From the moment I met her she made me feel welcomed and like I could really do this. Immediately when I stepped into her at home studio I could tell she loved music and from just a short talk I learned about the many years of experience she had. Originally it was planned for us to do our piano lessons in person starting this summer, but with the outbreak of coronavirus our plans changed. Ms. Kathy decided to do online zoom lessons with us and I am so glad she did. Even though our summer hours can no longer count towards our senior project it still helped us so much to get better acclimated to the piano. This summer I have learned so much about the piano and music in general. I have learned some music theory, the keys on the piano, how to better read music, about key and time signatures, chords, how to make my own chord progressions, and so much more. In just two months Ms. Kathy has worked diligently with us each week to help us become better pianist. Ms. Kathy brings some sort of structure into our classes as well as much flexibility. At times I felt as if she was moving too quickly for me, but once I told her she was responsive to accommodate me. She is not just a teacher that teaches. She is a teacher that learns from her students and uses that to better herself. Her instructive attitude keeps us on track and she is also very understanding. Personally I had a situation in which I had to be out of my home for almost 2 weeks and Ms. Kathy reassured me that it was okay. She worked with me to continue to practice even without my piano. We went over music theory and she directed me to practice my fingering techniques, to complete theory activities, and to listen to piano instrumentals to work on internalizing the beat. She once said to us that she wants us to not just be listeners to music but to be participants. I believe that we have already started to become active listeners, analyzing the music that we hear. Ms. Kathy has several different students with differing skill levels but she ensures your learning experience is unique to you. If she notices that you need help on a specific area she will try her best to help you improve. With all the unexpected changes that have occurred I believe Ms. Kathy has done a great job handing it and has not allowed these situations to hold her or her students down." Read more
