I'm an adult, but also a beginner...(?)

It's never too late to dive into music, and I especially enjoy teaching adult learners! In fact, spending time learning new skills is a wonderful way to keep our brain healthy as we age.

I’m an adult who took lessons as a child but have forgotten what I learned; can I get back into playing the piano?

Yes! It’s very rewarding and can often be very cathartic to reclaim the piano in your life. Many of us had childhood teachers who drove us away from the piano, or parents who insisted we play too strongly and so we didn’t want to anymore. But now, we want to return to the piano since it did have an important part in our lives. I have helped many adults relearn the piano and to heal their relationship with music and playing the piano.

Why 60-minute lessons, especially for beginners?

For beginning students of all ages, we'll do a wide variety of exercises, games, rote learning, note-reading, music theory, rhythm work, and exercises with a metronome. This helps beginning students of all ages learn how to practice!

Do you prepare students for conservatory auditions?

Yes! When it comes to studying music in college and beyond, I have been in the trenches and emerged ready to help others. Preparing for conservatory auditions is a demanding process, but I help students learn both how to succeed in this goal while also developing healthy creative habits that will serve them in conservatory and beyond.

Why do you only teach students 8 years old or older?

My teaching strengths, talents, and training are geared towards late elementary school students, tweens, teens, and adults of all ages. Teaching younger children is an art form in and of itself, and there are many fine piano teachers in the Portland area who are excellent, passionate teachers of younger children. To find these teachers, please visit the Oregon Music Teachers Association "Find a Teacher" page.

What if I want lessons for a younger sibling along with an older child? Or, what if my younger child is serious and has an unusual focus for someone their age?

I am willing to meet younger siblings or unusually serious and focused and talented younger children, but in my experience I find that very few younger children work well with my teaching methods, which is geared towards students who are highly self-motivated.

What piano methods do you use?

For intermediate and advanced students, I create an individually-crafted course of repertoire and technique based on the student's goals and interests. I often use the Masterwork Classics series for intermediate and early advanced students. For advanced students, I go straight to the source: the score of music by the composers my student is studying (e.g., Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, Chopin’s Études, etc.).

For beginning students, I use either the Piano Adventures method or the Piano Safari Method, depending on my initial assessment of which would work best for the student. Although designed for young children, this method is excellent for teaching technique and musicianship quickly, including learning two pieces on the very first day!

Why "chopinois", and how it is pronounced?

Show-pahn-wah. I read a biography of composer Frédéric Chopin when I was 13, and I was inspired by his example to become a concert pianist and composer. According to the biography, "Chopinois" was a nickname for Chopin given by his romantic partner, the French female writer George Sand.