Safe lessons For Mature Adults In The Age Of Covid-19

Private online piano lessons.

I welcome beginners. I offer two streams of online piano lessons.

1. Recreational keyboard lessons at all levels. Learn at your own pace, have fun. No pressure. To see the range of music I teach in a week click on this sentence. 

2. The "Achievers Program" which is an intensely focused program for over achievers. I’m comfortable with a Jazz, Classical, or Pop emphasis. Students in the "Achievers" program are normally preparing for piano exams, jazz camp, post-secondary entrance auditions, or clearing off a bucket list category. 
  • Weekly lessons
  • Casual lessons are subject to availability
  • Available in 30, 60 minute blocks

​Career Guidance for Private Music Teachers
  • 3 hours over two 1.5 hour sessions
  • Covers goal setting, sales, marketing, skill development and business planning
  • $300.00, paid in advance by check or email transfer
  • Available on-line

​Please scroll down and have a look at the learning plans. 
Connecting the heart with the hands, ears, eyes, and intellect. And, staying safe.

Adult piano lessons are a primary focus of my studio in Toronto. My goals are to provide empathetic instruction and fun lessons.

Here are a few profiles of my adult music learners:
​
1.    Gary, retired Professor, adult Jazz Piano student. Last century earned his RCM Grade 8 certificate. Thought he might check Jazz piano off the bucket list. He's heads his own jazz band. They meet weekly in his basement. Go Gary!
2.    William, businessman, adult Classical Piano student. Last year he successfully sat for RCM Grade 7 piano, this year Grade 8. Go William! We started at level 2, if I recall correctly.
3.    Terry, adult Classical Piano student. Dusted off the piano and dove into RCM Grade 6 exam preparations. Squeezes in time to practice whenever she can.
4.    R. and J., retired Academics, husband and wife. He started from scratch; she has restarted. Enjoying exploring Classical and early 20th century classic Jazz.
5.    Charles, semi-retired, amateur Classical singer, arts lover, adult Classical Piano student dabbling in Be-bop Jazz. He successfully sat for his RCM Grade 8. Yeah Charles! 
6.    Y., business woman, piano beginner. Brings passion to the project of learning the basics. Some weeks she practices, some weeks she doesn't. But every week she dives in with enthusiasm.
7.    Mark, music professional, learning the ins and outs of music theory. Working on his first album.
8.    Nicholas, young adult with musical aspirations. Preparing for music school. (he made it and he made a professional recording. Hear him here: youtu.be/e-5MudGQs4Q
9.    Joe and Kim, Professional piano teachers and studio owners, learning new skills to keep it fresh for their own students.
​Learning Plans
A learning plan is a document (possibly an interactive or on-line document) that is used to plan learning, usually over an extended period of time. Any entity can have a learning plan. They are often used by individuals to plan and manage their own learning, but they can also be used by teams, communities of practice or organizations.
Learning Plan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning Plan
 
What might you learning plan look like? Clarity and specificity are important.
Classical student
Goal: Sit for my Grade 4 exam in June 2021
Plan:
  1. Technique in place by Christmas
  2. Sight reading 5 days a week to address my shortcomings
  3. Three of the 5 pieces playable by Christmas, all pieces in place by April
  4. Memorised pieces by May
  5. I will create a weekly practice plan with my teacher
  6. I will keep a practice journal
  7. Plan for mock exams in the spring
  8. I will listen and watch online one masterful performance a week.
  9. I will attend a classical music concert when it is again possible
  10. I will joyfully work on theory
Jazz Student
Goal: Be able to jam in a community group in one year.
Plan:
  1. Learn my chord systems by Christmas
  2. Learn my 12 major scales, one octave by Christmas
  3. Memorise one tune a month from the list of beginner tunes
  4. Practice comping chords from the same list one tune a week. I will write out the chords on a “chart” to facilitate learning.
  5. I will purchase play along software or an app
  6. I will learn 5 simple licks in 12 keys
  7. I will study one transcription per month
  8. I will create a weekly practice plan with my teacher
  9. I will keep a practice journal
  10. I will keep my up piano “chops” by playing written music of my choosing regularly