Piano/Music Classes--Preschool and Adult?
Does anyone have recommendations for a piano teacher for a three-year-old? If so, please also share the general cost of the lessons. I have a budget--this is an experiment to see if we can find fun lessons. My daughter loves singing and playing the piano with me, and it occurred to me that maybe we should both work on getting some better skills in this area.
Has anyone tried taking piano lessons at the same time as their young child? I was thinking it might be nice for her to take a lesson and then sometimes sit in on a lesson for me. I took piano as a child and remember a fair bit. But I'd call myself a beginner.
Does anyone have recommendations about a structured way to refresh your own piano skills? I took Suzuki as a kid--I miss that structure of working your way through a book at a time. And I really like the idea of listening to how something is supposed to be played--maybe not the endless repetition tapes that I had to listen to overnight as a child. Ideally, I'd find something similar to Suzuki but more playful/fun--that includes some singalong songs.
Thanks!
Parent Replies
I recommend Ernie Mansfield in Berkeley, http://www.mansfieldmusic.com/
You should check out Marianne Barlow. We know her from when she was the head teacher at my daughter's preschool -- she is loving, kind, patient, and generous to ALL people (kids and grownups), and she especially loves the preschool crowd. Her overall approach is to follow a child’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and gently guide it to maximum effect. We haven't done the family music lessons (my kids take privates with her consecutively - the cost for that is $30 per half-hour lesson), but maybe that would work for you guys? She definitely meets everyone where they're at -- she follows some structure of working through a piano teaching book, but is SUPER creative about mixing it up and making it fun for whomever she's working with. I think if you tell her what your goals are, she'd be able to meet them quite successfully. Good luck!