Beginning Piano Study
A Note From Traynor Piano:
Your study of piano or voice with us will start with an interview. There is no charge for this. It gives us a chance to meet the student and family. Several things will happen at this interview.
At this interview, we spend some time with our prospective student. The interview may include a mini lesson with the prospective student. Virtually every student needs and deserves special, individualized teaching. As full time teachers, we are able to offer this. The teaching of a 4 year old is different from the teaching of a 70 year old. High school students have different needs than grade school students. Each individual requires something different from anyone else. We begin to determine what these individual characteristics and needs are at this time, so that we are properly prepared for the first lesson.
We will discuss the student’s piano, and if asked, we will offer advice on the purchase of one. Many people mistakenly believe that a student can learn on any instrument and that a good one can be purchased later if the student “takes to it.” Most of us, if we were to learn any new skill, be it computers, driving, dancing, etc., would not do well at it if we have mediocre equipment. Unfortunately, this is the attitude towards the quality of the piano for a beginning student. This is not to say that every student needs a Bösendorfer, Steinway or Yamaha! A piano student does need a decent piano, kept in good condition, and tuned regularly. Two resources we recommend for the purchase of a piano are The Piano Book and The Blue Book of Pianos.
If the prospective student has special needs, as many of our students do, we address that at the interview. Will this person need any special equipment or special teaching materials? The special needs student may take extra planning for us and for the family, but we welcome these students.
We share our expectations of lessons and music study. The student and family will have time to ask us any questions they might have. We give the adult student, or young student’s parents, a copy of our Studio Policy to answer any questions that might have been missed during the interview.