This page presents some ideas on how to succeed at learning piano, and how learning piano can lead to success in other areas of life. If there is one thing I could tell a student about success in piano it is that it takes daily practice. A student typically spends a half an hour to an hour with a teacher per week, and then needs to practice the rest of the week at home. That means he or she spends most of the week learning and practicing on their own. Without the student's effort during the week there will be very little progress made. On the other hand, if the student does follow through with practice, a lot of progress will be made in a relatively short period of time. This is the only way to get the best value for your time and money.

The idea of consistent daily practice is reinforced because I give a student an assignment sheet on which they are expected to record their daily practice. After what has been assigned is practiced, the student is free to play, have fun and "fool around" on the piano. Students are encouraged to enjoy what they do, but they must make the priority of practice come first. Piano is a mixture, of fun, enjoyment, and effort.

Practice will lead to the development of great daily habits. Great daily habits are something that can help a student in other areas of life such as school work, and later on in work, careers, and business. Musicians are people who can see how accomplishing things one step at a time can lead to overall success. They are also people who know how to plan for the long term and ultimately reach a worthy long term goal.

Learning piano is also the best way to develop an all encompassing knowledge of music. Piano allows you to learn both treble and bass, melody, harmony, dynamics; in effect you have a whole orchestra at your fingertips. In learning piano, a student should expect to learn all aspects of music such as theory, improvisation, sight reading, composition, ear training, technique, as well as different styles such as classical, collaboration, popular and jazz. An acoustic 88 key piano is the best instrument to learn on.

The ultimate goal for me is to have a student become their own best teacher. Eventually, a student should be able to sit down and use their knowledge and research to learn and perform an advanced piece. Playing their own songs and compositions is also very important. When a student after a period of time can exercise their musicianship without the help of a teacher, they have truly become a musician. This is my ultimate goal even though it means my students will eventually not need me so directly as a teacher.