APPLAUSE Piano Studio

I truly enjoy meeting a potential student and their family before they begin lessons.  I feel it is important for the family and child(ren) to feel comfortable before we potentially begin formal lessons.  I also like to get to know the student, their likes, dislikes, goals and desires before we begin. 

My studio is in a very large room in my home, which includes a waiting room and bathroom.  I welcome everyone and give them a tour.  I ask quite a few questions of both parents and the potential student. 

While the parent fill out an information form, I take the student to the piano.  I like to introduce them to their "new best friend, the piano!"  I like to introduce a new student, who has never played before, to the geopgraphy of the piano through games and learning a song by rote.  We try some inprovisation, rhythm echoes on drums or an instrument of their choice and they answer some questions for me.  It's very interactive and allows me to begin to know their learning style.  That is important to me because no two children are alike.  They are all unique individuals and I teach right where the child is and then grow from there. I try my best to select materials and methods that they will enjoy as well as experience wonderful progress.  If the potential student already plays the piano, I ask them to prepare any two songs of contrasting nature to play for me.  I also include the skills mentioned above and I ask them to sight read a piece appropriate for the current level of profiecency they are in.  We rejoin the grownups and I answer any and all questions they may have.