Dr. Elizabeth Etnoyer’s Piano Studio

Jeremy Deskins

When I began piano lessons with Dr. Etnoyer in January 2011, I was more or less a complete novice at the piano. There are a lot of things I could say about the subsequent 6 years of regular piano lessons, but I'll talk about 3 things that I think are relevant to anyone considering joining her piano studio. 1) Piano Instruction One thing Dr. Etnoyer constantly emphasized in our lessons was the importance of varying how I should practice a piece, with suggestions on how to deconstruct complicated passages into bite-sized pieces that I could manage with ease. I can recall one lesson where we were going through one of the Alfred All-in-One books (which contained a mix of pieces, exercises, and theory), when suddenly she said something to the effect of “you know what, we’re done with this book” and pulled out a huge book of Mozart piano sonatas, stating that I was going to start on one of them right away. To go from beginner pieces to Mozart is terrifying for someone with one year of lessons under their belt, but she patiently listened to all of my questions (and a lot of my whining), showing me ways to approach the piece that didn’t leave me overwhelmed. Although every new piano piece inevitably gives you the feeling that you have forgotten everything you ever learned, over the years I became better and better at overcoming this. Because of the time I spent studying with Dr. Etnoyer, I can pick up Mozart, Bach, Schumann, or Scarlatti, and know that I have the tools to get started – after that it’s just a matter of time. 2) Building Confidence Piano is mostly a lonely pursuit, but there are those times when you want to share what you have been working on, which introduces a huge problem, especially for new piano students - what if I mess up? I've had recital experiences that were fantastic (and a few that were not so great), but each time a recital was drawing near, Dr. Etnoyer would spend many lessons talking about ways to ensure that I'm not setting traps for myself with bad practicing habits, and what to do if you wind up making a mistake anyway. I think it's more of a psychological hurdle, in the end, than it is a technical hurdle, and in this area Dr. Etnoyer was generous with her words of encouragement and confidence in my ability to pull off what always seemed (in the moment) an impossible task. Because of the time I spent studying with Dr. Etnoyer, I am able to play the piano with confidence, regardless of who is listening - if I mess up, I can move on without beating myself up. 3) Fun! I have honestly never laughed so much in my life as during our weekly piano lessons. I'm sure that's not typical of most studios, but I appreciated it. Music is already intimidating, and to sit down at a lesson and mess up on simple things that the instructor can do with extraordinary ease is a tough thing to adjust to mentally. But our lessons were full of laughter, and as long as we were laughing and enjoying the process of learning a piece, I could set those doubts aside and learn as much as I could - from practicing skills, to technique, to theory, to interpretation. I was very sad for our lessons to come to an end, but I do hope to have a few more lessons with Dr. Etnoyer (if our schedules ever match up, we're both much busier than anyone should have to be). Because of the time I spent studying with Dr. Etnoyer, I learned how to have a lot of fun on the piano, and the laughter, the enjoyment, and the practicing continues to this day.

2018-01-17

Christine Danielewicz

I appreciate not only Dr. Etnoyer's expertise and talent, but also her warm and encouraging approach. She communicates clearly that every student can succeed in developing musical skills and artistry. She has the preparation and passion to help students of all ages grow and glow as musicians!

2018-01-17