You’ve probably heard of the Mozart effect: Music lessons correlate with confidence and success in a variety of areas, from social skills to teamwork to math performance — even to acceptance rates in medical school! Who knew that “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” could lay the groundwork for careers in everything from arts management to brain surgery’s!

And of course, there is the personal satisfaction of being able to express oneself through music, accompany a friend singing, play in a rock band, or just noodle around. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we learned just how essential arts were to our mental health. The daily routine was a link to normalcy, and the weekly lessons — even if conducted on Facetime or Zoom — re-established valued personal interconnections and one-on-one learning. As I sat at my own piano playing Bach Fugues and Chopin Etudes — or when I sat at my cello and tried to squawk my way through a beginner’s exercise book — I was so grateful to have the skills to connect with great composers and express my own emotions. I felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have that outlet.

If you’re thinking of piano lessons for your child, you are probably wondering what to expect. This is a brief summary of what you’ll encounter in my studio. Each teacher has her (or his) own way of doing things, but I think it’s safe to say that we all share the goal of providing a supportive environment for learning an art that can sustain our students for the rest of their lives.

A Practice Instrument

You’ll need a practice instrument. Students in my studio are expected to have a practice instrument at home. While I prefer that it be an acoustic piano in good shape (not to mention in tune), a keyboard is acceptable for the first year or two of study (depending on how quickly the student progresses.) The better the instrument, the better: You wouldn’t send your kid to a tennis lesson with a badminton racket, and you wouldn’t give them a bicycle helmet to play football. It’s the same with piano.

For digital pianos, I prefer that you have 88 keys with weighted hammer action (I’ll give you more info when we meet), but a basic 61 key keyboard may be okay to start if it has touch control. (That means that if you press the note hard, it sounds loud, and if you press it more gently, it sounds quieter.) — as long as you understand that you may have to upgrade if your child sticks with piano, especially if they respond to classical music. The damage to technique and finger development from practice on a substandard instrument is a real issue, more so for some children than others.

Regular Practice

I do expect regular practice, and most piano teachers lie somewhere on the continuum between hoping their students will practice and insisting on it. In my fantasy world (and in the world I grew up in), a beginner would practice 1/2 hour a day 6 days a week. That’s what I did, but I know, I know — things were different back then. Kids didn’t have as many choices, moms didn’t work outside the home, there wasn’t as much homework, no one had cell phones, and people’s schedules weren’t as busy. Nonetheless, if you can make practice a regular part of your family’s schedule, the progress you see will be remarkable. And it’s a virtuous cycle. As one nine-year old student told me “The more I practice, the better I get, and the funner the songs are.”

If you can manage to get a young beginner to practice 15 – 20 minutes 5 times a week, I promise you’ll see progress. For older students, I like to see 1/2 hour to 45 minutes a day 5 or 6 times a week…. although I rarely get that. I do have some dedicated students who want to be music majors who are practicing 2 – 3 hours a day in high school, but they have made that decision for themselves in order to meet their personal goals.

I work with what I get… but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you what I think optimal practice times are for various levels.

Parental Encouragement

Parental encouragement during daily practice is helpful if you and your child have a relationship where that works. Not everyone does: Sometimes children assert their independence at the piano, and refuse the help. You are welcome to sit in during lessons so you know what I am assigning students to do. Even if you don’t know a thing about music, there are ways you can help… if it works for you.

All kids need to be reminded to practice. I needed to be reminded until I was in high school. Some parents say “as long as she wants to do it, it’s fine, but I don’t want to be the bad guy.” We need to stop framing practice in terms of “being the bad guy”! Practice is all about learning to solve problems. And it can even be fun. But even so — you have to remind kids to brush their teeth and you probably get pushback from that once in a while! So expect pushback regarding the piano. Like any good habit, practice takes a while to set in.

I only accept children younger than 6 if parents agree to assist with supervising practice at home. Children that young simply cannot (in my experience) be expected to manage their own practice.

Studio Policy

Like many professional piano teachers, I have a studio policy that tells you how many lessons you are getting in a school year, what that will cost, when payments are due, and how and under what circumstances I handle make-ups. Piano teachers can only teach during a limited number of after-school hours. In order for your child to make progress, regular attendance is required. Please try to pick a time you won’t have to constantly change. I try to be as accommodating as possible, but unlike Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter books, I don’t have a time-turner.

Communicating

Please talk to me! I have taught hundreds of students. Some have gone on to be music majors. Many have stayed with me for many years. Parents recommend me to other parents … and perhaps even more important, students recommend me to their friends. I can help you work through problems your child may be having. Most of all, I want my students to both enjoy their lessons (which is the easy part) AND enjoy their practice time (which can be more of a challenge). I personalize lessons and repertoire taught to adjust to different student personalities and preferences. Open conversations help me understand your child better — and they help you understand why I teach certain skills and pieces of music to your child at different times.

Learning piano is a long-term, deep-end-of-the-ocean type of activity. That it is worth it seems obvious to me (of course it does — I’m a piano teacher!) — but also to my students, who often stay with me for 6, 8, 10, or even more years. Perhaps the greatest evidence I can offer is that frequently, my graduating high-school seniors ask if they can come back for more lessons during their vacations! For me, this is the greatest honor I can imagine — that piano lessons and their playing now mean so much to them that they independently want to continue — with me — whenever possible. (And what a kick it is to see a kid I knew as a 6-year old driving up my driveway in their own car for lessons!)

I look forward to seeings you in lessons — or hearing your child at a recital one day!

If you’re like most parents, you’re overworked, over-worked, and over-committed, especially if you are reading this during the Covid-19 pandemic.Choosing a music teacher may be on your to-do list, but where to start and what to look for?

Finding Potential Teachers

Many good music teachers rarely advertise. Most of us find students from word-of-mouth, and of course, the better the teacher is, the less her or she needs to advertise. So you generally won’t find your town’s most popular teacher in the yellow pages.

Many piano teachers do have websites, which you can usually finding by searching for “piano teacher” and “your town, state.”  Websites may give  information about the studio, its location, and the teacher’s credentials and philosophy, along with contact information.

You can also ask for recommendations at local music stores, piano shops,  and the like. Note, however, that some music stores offer in-store music lessons, so they may steer you to their teachers.

Public school music teachers are another resource. They tend to know the private music teachers in the area, and can give you some names of teachers who have good reputations.

Also check to see if your area has a community music school. These schools generally vet the teachers. Many require college music degrees, or significant performance experience.

Pandemic and Covid-19 Piano Lessons

Piano teachers pivoted on a dime when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. One week, most of us were teaching one-on-one in person like piano teachers had been doing for 200 years, and overnight, or so it seemed, even those us us who were confirmed technophobes were rocking Facetime, Zoom, and Skype.

The availability on remote lessons is an important consideration. Does the teacher insist on remote lessons during the pandemic? If you have questions about how those lessons work, ask them. We’ve all developed new strategies to make the lessons effective, engaging, and fun. You will need to discuss the teacher’s preferred platforms, make sure your Internet service is high-speed, and find out the mechanics of obtaining sheet music, paying for lessons, and, if necessary, sitting in with small children.

Remote lessons can also work if students have snowdays, or if you child is feeling a little under the weather — maybe due to an oncoming cold. After the pandemic, most of the teachers I am networking with see remote learning as an ongoing part of what they do.

Questions to Ask a Music Teacher

The following issues are some that you’ll want to cover in your interview with a music teacher. Some are purely practical. Others address issues of compatibility and teaching philosophy.  There’s no right answer to any of these questions: An excellent teacher may or may not have a music degree, and may or may not have performing experience. But the questions will get you talking to each other, and will help you feel out your compatibility.

• What qualifications and experience do you have?
• How long have you been teaching?
• What ages do you typically teach?
• Do you teach one style of music or many, and how do you decide?
• Do you do studio recitals?
• Do you participate in any out-of-studio programs (such as state contests, teacher showcases, or Piano Guild competitions)
• How long are lesson times?
• What is the cost?
• What is your payment policy?
• What is your make-up and cancellation policy?
• Where are you located (or do you teach in students’ homes)?
• What is your availability?
• Is there anywhere I can hear you play? (Answers might include local gigs, the Internet, or a CD)
• Do you have any experience dealing with a child who…. (has ADD, Aspergers, is four years old, has a learning delay issue, etc.)?
• What is your philosophy about teaching music?
• What kind of instrument is required?
• How much practice do you require?
• What can I as a parent do to help?

Having an open conversation with a teacher and being sure all your questions are answered is the first step in establishing the foundation of a relationship that lasts for many years.