Brittney's Piano Studio

ABOUT ME

Hi! My name is Brittney (she/they). I currently teach in Murray, Utah. I have a diploma of Piano Pedagogy from Utah State University (2018) and have been teaching for about 15 years. I teach kids and adults from beginning level to late intermediate, and if you're into classical like me, I can take you a bit further!

MY METHOD

As a teacher, my plan is to 1. teach students in whatever way makes sense to their brain, 2. get them playing what they want to play as soon as possible, and 3. provide a foundational jumping point from which they can go into any genre of music they like.

To that end, I use whatever methods and materials I can find (or make myself) to give my students as well rounded an education as possible.

Whether you are looking to get your kids interested in piano, are revisiting or reclaiming piano from when you were a kid, or are young at heart and looking for a new beginning, I would love to help you on your way!

WHAT ARE LESSONS LIKE?

Most lessons are weekly, starting at 30 minutes. Usually we begin with working on your main project, which is usually a song (whether from a lesson book, something we picked together, or something else entirely). That lasts about 15 to 20 minutes unless there is a new concept or something extra challenging to work on. The remaining time is used for extra work, like music theory, scales, chords, sight reading, OR another song (lucky you!) If needed, lessons can be extended to 45 or 60 minutes, depending on how much you are able/willing/want to practice. Some of my students only practice at lessons, some practice every day, some just need extra lesson time, it just depends on what works for you.

WHAT KIND OF PIANO TO GET

I will always love acoustic pianos over electric, but especially for beginners that can be a huge space/money investment (plus electric keyboards have earphones for privacy!) It also depends on the genre you're going into. If you're going into pop and rock, maybe electric is the better choice for you. Whatever the piano, acoustic or electric, it needs to work well and sound decent.

Here are some guidelines for electric: 88 weighted keys, with a damper pedal. Whatever seat you get needs to allow the student to have their forearm level with or slightly above the keys, whether they have a higher bench or sit on hefty books to achieve this.

For more advanced students I will explain the limitations of different level pianos to help you find the right fit if you don't have one or need an upgrade.

And that's it!

HOW DID I GET HERE

I don't remember my first lessons, but I finished the Alfred Program at age 11, after which I taught myself (so I am a big fan of developing self motivation!) I taught lessons from around 13-15, my first foray into teaching. At 19, I got a professional teacher for the first time, and at 20 I auditioned for and was accepted into the Utah State University Piano Program. My aim was always to become a piano teacher, so my focus was on that, and I've been teaching ever since in one way or another.