piano lessons for all ages
Play great-sounding music right away
The Simply Music Piano method is an immensely rewarding, engaging way to learn to play the piano! My students love being able to play great-sounding music right away, from their very first lessons, which keeps them excited about piano and motivated to keep learning.
sound before sight
In the same way that we all learn to speak years before we learn to read and write, Simply Music Piano temporarily delays music reading and immerses students in the experience of immediately playing great-sounding music.
Natural approach to reading music
Students are introduced to a variety of unique playing-based concepts that unfold directly onto the keyboard, resulting in learning to play the piano quickly, easily and naturally. Once students are playing the piano comfortably and have a solid understanding of the keyboard, music reading is introduced. With this foundational knowledge and unique approach, students are set to become strong readers. This is a far more natural approach than how piano has been traditionally taught.
Focus on Creativity
Making music isn’t just about reading music, though! Students also learn the creative side of making music, learning how to create their own songs and musical compositions. Plus students will learn how to take music they already know and create their own interpretation of it – making their own arrangements which are new and unique. For those students who love to sing, students learn to play piano to accompany their favorite songs. And students will increase their music appreciation through the experience of playing a wide variety of music – modern, classical, folk, pop, rock, jazz, and blues.
Individualized learning – you choose
Let me know why piano is interesting to you or your child. What kind of music do you want to play? What music do you enjoy listening to? Where do you see yourself or your child playing? The Simply Music program can be tailored to follow your interests. Choose one of the following paths, or, if multiple paths are calling to you, combine them as desired.
Classical music / modern soundtrack Path
Do you envision playing traditional, classical music (think Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Chopin)? Or big, modern movie-themes, such as the music from Star Wars or The Pirates of the Caribbean or your favorite Bollywood movie? Or beautiful, flowing pieces, such as Yiruma’s River Flows in You or Comptine D’un Autre Ete from the movie, Amelie? Or perhaps your child (or you!) really wants to play the music they hear in video games! If so, this track is for you!
pop / rock / broadway Path
This is the path for anyone interested in playing popular music, ranging form the 1960s to today. Is your dream to sing while playing the piano, like Alicia Keys, John Legend, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Elton John, or Billy Joel. Or maybe your child loves to sing popular Disney songs or you’re super into Broadway musicals? Or do you love classic rock and want to play Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody? Or are you interested in playing piano with others, either as the pianist in a band or as the piano player backing up another singer? If any of the above appeals to you or your child, you’ll learn the piano skills to get you there.
blues & jazz path
Even if you aren’t familiar with it now, I find many students fall in love with blues and jazz music after being introduced to the blues early on in the Simply Music program. Students will learn to play fun baselines, rich, beautiful chords, classic jazz and blues licks, and creative improvisation skills. It’s a great combination of structure and creativity! If your child is interested in playing in their middle or high school jazz band, you’ll definitely want your child on this track several years before tryouts.
Creative Path
Are you or your child more of a creative type? Are you interested in creating your own music or writing your own songs? Or perhaps you would love to learn the tools and techniques to play freely on the piano? Or you enjoy figuring out how to do things on your own, such as figure out how to play a song you heard in a movie by ear? Or does your child enjoy tinkering around on the piano to discover the tune of their favorite video game? Or do you enjoy taking a familiar tune and making it your own, changing the melody a bit or changing up the rhythms? There are so many different ways to express our creativity on the piano! This path is excellent for all students, especially those of you with a traditional lesson background looking for a different approach to learning piano, and is a wonderful path for the youngest students just beginning their piano journey. The benefits reach far outside of piano lessons, helping students make connections and become more creative thinkers… much needed skills in our world today.
Combination of paths
Not sure what appeals the most? Don’t worry! All students will move through the Simply Music foundation levels, which will touch on all of the above paths to become well-rounded musicians. If you know ahead of time that your interests are heavy in one or two of the above areas, we’ll spend more time and dive deeper there! But it may take a little time for you or your child to develop their focus. Or you may begin with one interest and then find another is more engaging for them. Or you’ll enjoy learning all aspects of music (I do!!). Interests change and develop! And some paths really come to life when combined! Before beginning lessons, we’ll discuss your unique interests and find the right path for you or your child.
lessons for different ages
- Children: For ages 6+, Simply Music Piano is a wonderful way to introduce your children to music! Kids love that they are playing music that they can be proud of right away. Parents love witnessing their kids quick music acquisition and developing musicality. As a studio parent said, “Love it! Makes learning piano fun!”
- Tweens & Teens: This is an age when students just want to jump right in and begin playing cool, great-sounding music right away, and that’s exactly what we do! The Simply Music Piano method is ideal for this age group, which may expect results sooner than others.
- Adults: Adults love learning Simply Music way! The Simply Music method provides adults with the gratification of learning quickly and playing great-sounding music right from the very first lessons. Many adults find being able to play without sheet music to be magical, and then are amazed, when it’s introduced, at how easy it is to read music. Adults frequently say, “I wish this method was available when I was a kid!“