Christina playing 'Starry Night'

piano & beyond

when i was growing up i didn't really know why i took lessons other than to simply play songs because i was told to. as i kept on learning i started to enjoy playing more and more until i thought, "if i really enjoy piano this much, how can i do something music related for a job?"

years later i'm doing just that on 3 different levels...

• my full-time job as a worship leader in the church enables me to use my talents in music, not only playing and singing on the weekend but also during the week as i prepare the music we're going to play. this is a very brief overview of what this job entails.

• as a piano teacher which is an avenue to teach others and help me stay sharp on my own musical knowledge and helps me in all other areas of music. it is enjoyable to see students develop and grow as I teach them.

• my greatest passion of all is being a recording artist, here i write, record and perform my songs. This right now is the least of the above two but is picking up momentum, soon i hope to be able to do this full-time which will be awesome.

so i write about these 3 aspects of piano that i would have never dreamed of being able to do way back when i was 10 years old. right now it may seems as if all we do is learn song after song but it's all part of learning and who knows what the future may hold.

got scattered?

keyboards vs pianos

when you're in the market for a keyboard or piano there are several things you need to keep in mind.

i always advise parents who are getting their children into piano lessons not to invest a lot of money into it straight away, the last thing you want is a $5000 piano that's going to sit in your living room and not be played, however, pianos do make nice pieces of furniture.

first off i loosely recommend a keyboard that is in the $100 to $200 range to get them started and to go easy on your bank account. at the very least it should be touch sensitive meaning the harder you play the keys the louder it gets likewise the softer you play the softer the sound. this is an ok place to start when trying to get started but not a good place to stop. you don't want them to develop a bad technique which they will by spending to long on a imitation instrument, once they are showing adequate interest in piano lessons and they're going to keep at it, it's time to invest in an upgrade. if possible skip the keyboard and move straight to a digital piano.

the next step up is a keyboard with weighted keys. this means that the keys feel heavier to play mimicking the action of a real piano. on an acoustic piano when you press a key it moves a hammer and strikes the string/s, because of the mechanics, it gives the key a weighted feel. now days keyboards are fairly close to getting the 'feel' right but in my opinion nothing plays the same as an acoustic piano. when you buy weighted keys it will always be touch sensitive.

when purchasing weighted keys you're more than likely buying a 'digital piano'. these are cool because they usually come in a frame with pedals and the appearance of a real piano for about $1000 give or take depending brand and other features. this is a good place to stop and sit for a while if you don't want to jump up to an acoustic piano. the other advantages to a digital piano is that they're easier to move, they never have to be tuned and they have volume control if you need to be quiet. the disadvantage to a student who may be easily distracted is that they come with all these other sounds and additional features which can eat up practice time by playing around if not under the close watch or ear of a parent.

lastly you can buy an acoustic piano, the differences are upright or grand. on an upright the strings inside are sitting vertical meanwhile on a grand the stings are sitting horizontal. up to a certain height on an upright the string length will match a small baby grand but after 5 feet or so the length of the strings on a grand will exceed that of an upright piano.

why is string length important? the longer the strings the more rich and deeper the sound but not necessary rather a luxury.

my last note on buying a piano is don't always think brand new. pianos (depending on the brand) are built to last, it's not uncommon to have a piano that is 30 years old that looks and plays like new after being refurbished by a piano store (not everyone who sells pianos refurbishes them). pianos, even though they may be old may not have seen a lot of playing time and may still be in great shape especially when fixed up by a pro.

when in the market check out rick jones pianos, when you purchase a piano they'll trade in your old piano for what you paid for it towards an upgrade.

for my needs, space and financial limitations as a piano teacher i teach on a 50" Yamaha U2 upright piano. before purchasing an instrument on any level do you homework and talk to a professional (not necessarily the guy trying to sell it to you). piano tuners are a good source because they're the guy's that fix them also you trustworthy piano teacher may have a few ideas :)

a nice note from a new family...

Thanks Mr Joel. We're excited about our upcoming piano lessons with you. Thanks for finding the time to meet with us and answer all our questions and accommodating the time slot that best works for us. - Joan S.


You're welcome Joan, my pleasure! Mr Joel! new? click here

Rick Jones, a Yamaha piano & a free tshirt

F.A.Q

there are a few frequently asked questions that come my way every time a parent is considering piano lessons for their child...

1. is my child old enough?

there is no straight answer to this question, to put it simply, no two people are exactly the same. i have taught 4 year olds successfully and then not so successfully, then again i have also taught 7 year olds successfully and unsuccessfully. the truth is you never know until you try, piano is not for everyone however at the age of 7 it may not be the right thing but at the age of 9 it might be.

anyone who doesn't know, i suggest to try one month. if that month proves to be a success then we can move ahead, if it's not quite time yet, then we can put it on hold for 6 months or a year and then try again.

2. can my child make it through a 30 minute class?

at times a traditional 30 minute class can be too long for a young child to sit and pay attention, in this situation i see it as my duty to try and make things interesting. this is part of the reason i use the Hal Leonard piano series books to teach from, it makes piano fun for the young student.

at the top of the picture you'll see a cd, i love this about all of the Hal Leonard lesson books, for every song there are two cd tracks to accompany the one song, one is a practice track the other is a performance track. if this won't keep the students attention longer and make lessons and practice all that more fun at home i don't know what else will. 

the accompanying theory work book is full of coloring pages and mazes to make things a lot of fun. i just wish i had all of this when i was a kid.

if 30 minutes is still too long we can tailor the perfect length lesson to suit the student.

3. i don't know how to play the piano, can i still help my child at home?

i encourage all parents to sit in the lessons with us. this way as the child is learning so is the parent, after the lesson i'll ask mom or dad if they have any questions so i can make sure they're equipped throughout the week to help their child with their practice times.

lastly i re-emphasize this, take one month and see how things go, there's no pressure from week to week, month to month to continue but may just turn out that piano was the best decision ever, it was for me. 

thanks mum & dad

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