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Make your piano dreams
a reality
Fall in love with the piano. Then, the rest comes easy.
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Whether you've always wanted to play or it is a step along the way to other musical endeavors, I want to help you achieve your goal!
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I've heard too many stories of people who hated piano lessons. That means the teacher is doing it all wrong! I focus on teaching piano as a language so you can begin to craft your own music and stories and find another way to express yourself through music.
Meet Amy
I started playing the piano when I was 3 years old. I think it's one of the only things I have stuck with my whole life! I had a few teachers that made the piano SO boring. Thankfully, my mom kept switching me until I found a lady named Lois. Lois taught in a way that I fell in love with the piano -- and now, here I am still loving the piano over 20 years later!
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The piano is one of the main ways I can express my emotions. I focus on teaching people the language of the piano so they can craft their own music.
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I took piano at Cornerstone University and also graduated from the Broadway Dance Center. I can't wait to pass on the gift of music to you & your family!
How it works
I would love to hear about your piano goals and help make a path to get there. If you're not sure, I'll just get you started learning how to play so you can see what you are most naturally drawn to! I teach:
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How to begin
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Basic piano and music theory
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Sight-reading
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Playing by ear
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Chording and how to improvise
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Creating your own works
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Piano chording for people who already are advanced or play other instruments
It's not just about reading notes. It's about learning how to pour your soul out into music on the piano.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a piano or keyboard?
Actually, for getting started, no! I have a keyboard for the lessons. If you actually like it, you'll want to get one so you can practice. I can also guide you in purchasing one that fits your preference.
Where are you located?
I offer lessons at the Creative Arts Dance Center within the Iron Works Training Center in Holmen. I occasionally travel to you for a premium.
How many lessons will I need?
It depends on your goals! If you already play the guitar, you could see a lot of progress with only a few lessons. If you or your child are beginners, piano can be a longterm journey but you can also start seeing progress quite quickly!
My Philosophy
Piano is usually taught ineffectively.
I might sound a little opinionated with what I’m about to say, but here I go!
There are two main approaches to playing the piano — rote memorization, and improvisation.
It seems to me that 98% of piano lessons teach kids and adults the rote memorization method. Sight reading. Reading music.
I do teach how to read music, but in my opinion most kids and adults quit before they ever see major progress. It’s a little bit of a boring road, and it takes a long time to see progress. Years, really.
What surprises me is that some excellent piano players can read music, but they can’t create it. They could study and memorize one piece at a time, but they couldn’t actually play anything beautiful without being told exactly every note to play.
In my opinionated opinion you didn’t ask for, if you can’t create music and just sit down and play something new on the piano, you don’t actually understand how to play the piano.
There’s a different way. In my opinion, a better way to teach piano.
When you understand the piano, understand the piano as a language, all music is opened up and unlocked for you - including sight reading. It’s the difference between memorizing a bunch of math answers and actually understanding the math concept, and then you can solve all the equations on your own.
I teach the underlying concepts of playing the piano. The music theory that creates every song we know.
I actually have no idea why most people don’t teach piano conceptually, because it is actually one of the easiest instruments to learn. It is one of the only instruments where music theory is visually laid out - you look at it, and you can see the scales.
I teach you first how to identify the notes, what makes a scale, what makes a chord.
Once we understand chords, we learn the basic chord progressions that make up most songs and music.
Then we practice rhythm, learning different beats and how to put them on the piano (it truly is a percussion instrument!)
People actually see results extremely fast using this method, and then they get to the part they love - making music - before they get bored and quit.
Once people feel they can express their emotions through an instrument… that is magical. And that provides the motivation to keep sticking it out and practice and do the hard parts.
Some people are drawn more to one approach than the other, so I think it’s important to clearly articulate my philosophy. I can and do teach reading music, but my main philosophy of playing the piano is understanding it as a language and being able to improvise and CREATE your own music.
Once you can pour out your heart through chords on the piano, you can never go back. It’s one of the most beautiful feelings in the world.
Let’s get you there.