Shanshan’s Piano Lessons
About
I personally have a deep appreciation of music, especially instrumental/ piano music. There are feelings and things in our hearts that makes us human, yet words are insufficient to express it. Through playing music, we get to participate in the creation of beauty and to express ourselves and share what we experience with others. My greatest goal in teaching is to share the joy of playing piano. There's the sense of accomplishment when you have successfully learnt a new song and it's ready to be performed. There's the joy of knowing through playing a piece on the piano, someone else's heart was touched. In the end music is to communicate the deep things of the heart with another without words, it welcomes others into our world.
In my teaching, I try to hold the student to a high standard of playing. There is value to pursuing excellence. At the same time I try to honor each student's uniqueness and help them develop a sense of competence and see the relevance of the music they play to their own lives and become more in touch with their inner emotions and increase their ability to express it. I refrain from using shame or guilt as a way to motivate the student. However I do set boundaries and will not hesitate to confront a student of inappropriate attitude or slack in practice.
I enjoy the relationship I build with the student and watching the ways that trust provides a safe space for the student to grow and learn. Often my students surprise me with their questions and ideas. It shows that they're engaged with what they are learning and and display genuine curiosity and interest. My most satisfying moments as a teacher are when students begin to learn more about themselves, feel more confident to take on the piece in front of them, and think creatively and analytically to figure out how to overcome the challenges.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I typically spend some time to get to know the new student first. I want to establish good communication and rapport with the student from the start since that will help them be engaged in their own learning and take ownership of their own progress. I usually begin by teaching some simple activities using the keyboard that allows the student to begin interacting with the instrument while gaining knowledge of it. During this time, I make note of each student's strengths and weakness and design my lessons accordingly to make the most use of their strengths while challenging them to grow in areas where they are weaker. In the past I mostly focused on teaching students to play by reading music, nowadays I have added incorporation of teaching them to play aurally, an equally important skill in music. With younger kids I typically focus on inspiring their love of music through learning to play or sing songs. Many younger kids have trouble concentrating for long periods of time and therefore my goal is to keep the activities fun and set small goals to build up their sense of confidence and competence.
After a few sessions of establishing basics, depending on the receptivity I usually switch my students to piano books and hence begin more formal learning of reading and playing written music etc.
As a teacher, I constantly experiments with new ways to teach and new ideas so I'm also a continuous learner and my teaching style varies over time.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a masters in piano performance at the New England Conservatory.
I also have a bachelor degree in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$35 for 30 min
$45 for 45 min
$60 for 1 hour
How did you get started teaching?
I began teaching at Seed Music Center after graduation since 2015. Since then I have taught students of all age range from 4 yrs - adult
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with mostly beginners, a few intermediate, and 1 to 2 advanced students who are older in their teenage years. Majority of my kids are between 6-11, with a few kids that are under 6
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Piano is both fun, creative, as well as discipline and performance. Some only care about the fun and creativity while others only care about discipline and performance. I'd say look for someone that seeks to balance the two especially for beginning learners. Also look for a teacher who is able to inspire a desire to learn, not shaming or guilting, yet firm with setting expectations, discipline, and boundaries.