Practice Guidelines
As in any skill acquisition, learning to play the piano requires practice if any progress is to be made. After all, to enjoy making music, one needs to master the skill which is accomplished only through practice.
The practice location and time should ideally be quiet, free from distractions.
PreK-12th Grade Students
"Just Right" Assignment. Because I want my students to feel engaged, not overwhelmed or bored during their practice, I strive to assign weekly pieces and tasks that the students and parents would feel "just right" for them. This is accomplished through my over 27 years of teaching experience, my PhD and other experiences in psychology, and clear communications with the students and parents about the goals we want the students to achieve in their music education.
Parental Involvement. Parents who have no piano knowledge with children under Age 7 are required to attend lessons AND learn along with their children in order to help them practice correctly and effectively at home. Parents of older children are still welcome and encouraged to attend lessons, but not required. Any support you give to your children for their home practice is greatly appreciated. Your support can only increase their rate of progress.
Time Commitment. Daily practice times for the following skill levels are:
Beginners and Elementary: 30 minutes/day
Intermediate: 40-45 minutes/day
Late intermediate & Advanced: 45-60 minutes or more/day.
Highly motivated students at each skill group can certainly practice longer than the guidelines!
It is highly recommended that the first day of practice be on the lesson day or the day after the lesson day. This way, students can still retain enough information in their short-term memory to accurately execute what they learned during lessons, so that muscle movements and musical concepts can be more effectively transferred into long term memory.
Students with weekly lessons will receive a star in their weekly practice chart and a small treat when they complete everything on their assignment sheet and practice 5 separate days a week. (Of course you're welcome to practice more than 5 days a week if you want!) Students enrolled in my studio need to have the time to practice 5 separate days a week on a fairly regular basis.
Reward. Every student will receive some form of an award at the annual award ceremony following the recital. These awards are NOT based on competitions among students, but on how often the students complete their own assignments in a year. The more frequently the students complete their weekly practice, the higher the award they receive.
Students who receive official trophies, certificates, or other forms of awards from participating in The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, Schoolcraft College competitions or MTNA competitions will also be honored at the award ceremony.
College and Other Adult Students
If you belong to this group who seek further enrichment or growth opportunities in piano, I applaud you for your willingness to make music in your life! It's never too late to learn something that you set your heart and mind to. You will get to set your own practice goals with my recommendations depending on your skill level, time availability, and whether your lessons are weekly, bi-weekly, or on an occasional basis. I will show you how to practice during lessons, and encourage you to start practicing within 24 hours of your lesson. This way, you are less likely to lose much of the information in your short-term memory from the lesson, more likely to remember and transfer your learning into long-term memory.
The practice location and time should ideally be quiet, free from distractions.
PreK-12th Grade Students
"Just Right" Assignment. Because I want my students to feel engaged, not overwhelmed or bored during their practice, I strive to assign weekly pieces and tasks that the students and parents would feel "just right" for them. This is accomplished through my over 27 years of teaching experience, my PhD and other experiences in psychology, and clear communications with the students and parents about the goals we want the students to achieve in their music education.
Parental Involvement. Parents who have no piano knowledge with children under Age 7 are required to attend lessons AND learn along with their children in order to help them practice correctly and effectively at home. Parents of older children are still welcome and encouraged to attend lessons, but not required. Any support you give to your children for their home practice is greatly appreciated. Your support can only increase their rate of progress.
Time Commitment. Daily practice times for the following skill levels are:
Beginners and Elementary: 30 minutes/day
Intermediate: 40-45 minutes/day
Late intermediate & Advanced: 45-60 minutes or more/day.
Highly motivated students at each skill group can certainly practice longer than the guidelines!
It is highly recommended that the first day of practice be on the lesson day or the day after the lesson day. This way, students can still retain enough information in their short-term memory to accurately execute what they learned during lessons, so that muscle movements and musical concepts can be more effectively transferred into long term memory.
Students with weekly lessons will receive a star in their weekly practice chart and a small treat when they complete everything on their assignment sheet and practice 5 separate days a week. (Of course you're welcome to practice more than 5 days a week if you want!) Students enrolled in my studio need to have the time to practice 5 separate days a week on a fairly regular basis.
Reward. Every student will receive some form of an award at the annual award ceremony following the recital. These awards are NOT based on competitions among students, but on how often the students complete their own assignments in a year. The more frequently the students complete their weekly practice, the higher the award they receive.
Students who receive official trophies, certificates, or other forms of awards from participating in The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, Schoolcraft College competitions or MTNA competitions will also be honored at the award ceremony.
College and Other Adult Students
If you belong to this group who seek further enrichment or growth opportunities in piano, I applaud you for your willingness to make music in your life! It's never too late to learn something that you set your heart and mind to. You will get to set your own practice goals with my recommendations depending on your skill level, time availability, and whether your lessons are weekly, bi-weekly, or on an occasional basis. I will show you how to practice during lessons, and encourage you to start practicing within 24 hours of your lesson. This way, you are less likely to lose much of the information in your short-term memory from the lesson, more likely to remember and transfer your learning into long-term memory.
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