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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skype lessons

Remote Piano Lessons are something new that's never been done before. Because people are busy, coming and the thought of meeting with a music teacher each week never seemed like a possibility, many people set aside their desires to play piano and never really find an avenue to pursue it.

Now, piano lessons are available piano online, some one in SanFrancisco can take piano lessons from me as easily as someone who lives up the street.

How does this work?

• Through the use of a computer and camera it's now possible to meet with students remotely. There is still a weekly meeting time but we meet on Skype not in person.

What do I need?

• Firstly you'll need a piano/keyboard to practice on, secondly you'll need a computer with a camera that is able to be setup next to your piano. Thirdly you'll need a Skype account so we can video chat.

Seeing I don't live anywhere near you, How do I pay?

• Simply log onto www.shinypiano.com and pay for piano lessons with you credit or debit card.

If you're interested in learning more about 'Skype Lessons' please email me at joel@shinypiano.com

you're gonna die

support the 'red couch' project

on may 24th i'll break ground on my new full length recording project entitled 'red couch serenade'.

for those interested and have maybe expressed interest in the past to contribute to this project, i've set up an avenue to do so. you can either sponsor a full day, half day or one or more hours in the studio. every gift goes to help cover the thousands of dollars this project requires.

if you're interested in supporting this project you can do so via credit card below or if you prefer mailing a check please email me at redcouchserenade@joelslater.com and i'll reply a mailing address to you.

each level of giving receives a gift from me.

thank you for your support
js

finn fotos

rocket suit

mum, dad and finn

mum and finn

afternoon nap

Piano with dad

it's a boy

introducing finn rocket slater. born march 24th @ 6:12pm. 7p.15oz and 21" long. mum and baby are doing great.