Lessons for Beginners
At Levin Piano Lab, located in Eagan and St. Paul, Minnesota, I am dedicated to keeping piano lessons fun and engaging. Both supportive and encouraging, I offer private lessons to students of all ages and levels, from beginners to very advanced and enjoy working with youngsters as well as adults. I believe in offering the highest quality, comprehensive approach to musical studies, including exposing students to the theoretical and historical aspects of music, as well as the joys of performing.
Beginning students start playing music in their first lesson. They learn the basics while working on music that is interesting and appealing.
PIANO LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS ARE FOCUSED ON:
- Good posture and hand position
- Recognizing and learning musical symbols
- Developing sight reading skills
- Music theory, rhythm and harmony
- Playing “by ear” and elements of composition
As students master the basics, they are encouraged to learn ever more challenging and intriguing music from a wide range of repertoire, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary music as well as popular and jazz-inspired styles. In addition, they will explore musical structure, composition and music history as they learn these new and more complex pieces. Time is devoted during each lesson to teaching the specific skills they will need to advance to higher levels of playing.
An important part of learning to play the piano is practicing. We spend time in the lessons talking about how to practice effectively and efficiently. The students leave each week with specific goals to accomplish and strategies for how to accomplish them so that practice time is focused and productive. This leads to less frustration, more rapid advancement and a greater sense of pride in themselves.
As a music teacher, my goal is to create a supportive, encouraging and caring environment where I can help students understand music, know what to look for in a musical work, learn how to practice efficiently, and advance at their own pace. I would like students to develop their own personal ideas of a musical work and be able to perform it convincingly and passionately. I want students to learn how to search for and construct a complete conceptualization and appreciation of music as we work through a piece. Playing music both assists in children’s development and enriches the lives of adults. To acquire a long-lasting love, respect and understanding of music, as well as to retain music as a lifelong companion are the fundamental goals of Levin Piano Lab.
Learning to play the piano benefits children’s development and enriches the lives of adults. The following is a short list of the many benefits that researchers have noted over the years.
PLAYING THE PIANO:
- Increases language development by developing the left side of the brain
- Provides social advantages due to the higher level of language development
- Improves sound discrimination
- Increases fine motor skills
- Improves performances on standardized tests
- Increases verbal recall (remembering verbal information)
- Increases spatial intelligence, such as solving multistep problems in math, geometry, art, gaming, computers, architecture and engineering
- Improves overall math achievement
- Improves the ability to multi-task
- Generally improves learning in other areas due to the simultaneous use of eyes and ears, large and small muscles, and arms and legs
- Improves self-esteem and pride
Equally important, playing the piano provides a source of enjoyment and recreation that students can have for the rest of their lives.