About
Lessons for adults and children. I teach students to play at the first lesson. Fun, nurturing environment, with focus on the student and what the student likes. Not stuck with any one method, as one size does not fit all. Classical, pop, jazz, wherever the music takes you. 15 years experience teaching young students, age 5 and up, or adults, up to age 80. Degree in music from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2005. Find my studio on Facebook, www.facebook.com/alderwoodpiano, or visit my website, alderwoodpiano.com
I like that every student is different, like a jigsaw puzzle piece. It's never boring and I enjoy discovering with them all the fun things they can do on a piano, reading music, making up music, performing music...The adventure never ends!
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Spend time discovering what the student knows about the piano itself: Where are the high/low sounds? What patterns do you see? Can you play a tune, either made up or learned from listening or from a book? Then we work together to expand on what they know, sometimes making up music to show what we've learned, or experimenting with finding a melody we already know, like Twinkle, Twinkle.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
BA in Music from Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado. Teaching students since 2001. Membership in Music Teacher's Association, both national and state organizations in Colorado, Idaho and Utah.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$20 for a half hour lesson for beginners; $30 for a forty-five minute lesson for adult beginners and intermediate students; $40 for sixty minute lesson for adult and advanced intermediate students. Students under age 18 have lessons weekly; adults bi-weekly, or weekly, as desired.
How did you get started teaching?
A friend asked if I would teach her children. I had just started college and had a year of theory under my hat, so I said yes. I discovered I loved to teach, and my students loved to learn, so we were a good match.
What types of students have you worked with?
As young as five, and as old as 80. Students come in all varieties of learning styles and backgrounds. Each one is different. Some are slow, some are fast. Some are patient, some are not. Music is not about perfection, so we work together to learn what works best for the individual.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Accompanying a fourteen-year-old flutist, whose grandmother is one of my students. What fun to share her life this way and to see her pass on her love of learning music to her granddaughter!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be sure they have education and training as a teacher. Don't base your decision simply on location and price.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Why do they want to learn to play the piano? Do they know that they will become independent learners? Do they know they can trust me to help them learn in a positive way? Do they know it's OK to make mistakes? Do they have to play in recitals? Do they have to memorize?