A piano.

It doesn’t have to be a Steinway! But, it should be a tunable, playable instrument. I can help you select an instrument within your budget. If you are wondering why I only accept children who have an acoustic piano, please read this well-written article  in its entirety, especially the last paragraph. I can explain this in more detail to you over the phone. This is VERY important to the success of your child. Do not let a digital piano salesman tell you otherwise.

A Supportive Parent.

When we (you and I) partner on this learning experience the student has much greater potential for success. What this means for you is to check in with your child to make sure they are doing their lesson assignment. If your child is very young you should sit next to him/her as they practice to make sure they have done the whole assignment. Give them opportunities to play in front of family and friends. Encourage them!

Commitment.

To succeed at anything in life you need to make a commitment to it. Playing the piano is no different. If you only practice twice a week you can’t expect great results. To succeed the student has to make a commitment to practice and the parent needs to understand this commitment and support it.

Patience.

As rewarding as playing a musical instrument can be, inevitably there will be difficult times. A new piece will present new challenges. These new challenges need to be met with patience so that they can be overcome.

Practice.

Young beginners should practice approximately 15 minutes/day.   Older beginners about 20 minutes/day. Intermediate to advanced students’ practice times will vary depending on the material. Plan on at least 30 minutes/day. It really doesn’t require a lot of time to be successful. It requires a lot of focus to be successful. I write the entire assignment down for your son/daughter in their notebook every week. So, when practicing the student just needs to have the notebook out and go down the list. Simple!

A desire to learn and explore.

Playing the piano will create new challenges and opportunities for your son/daughter. All of these are best met with enthusiasm for doing something new.