Perform Piano...Save The Planet!

When it's time to step onstage into the bright lights shining down on you, and the crowd is cheering wildly for the show to start, there are so many feelings that can hit you all at once.  Excitement, elation, nervousness, euphoria… and then the adrenaline kicks in with the first note!

There is so much fulfillment in performing music for a live audience. The great Billy Joel once said: 

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” 

It's on stage where we are able to deliver an experience to the audience, one that might stick with them for their whole lives. Although the audience may be contrived of many different individuals with various backgrounds and outlooks, the music somehow brings everyone together on one frequency and unites the audience, merging everyone participating into a collective consciousness. 

“Art should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise." - Bill Evans

When we are performing music for someone, whether it be for a theatre full of people or in the living room for a couple of friends, we are opening windows of creativity within the minds and hearts of those listening. As musicians, we can help show others a piece of themselves that they had not seen before.

Through this art we can shine a different perspective into people's lives that can fill in another piece of the puzzle we are all helping each other figuring out.  With each note placement, it is like painting through strokes of sound waves onto the canvas of silence. We connect with the intention of the composition and vibrate the space around us.

The piano is an amazing instrument in the way we are able to play like an arranger would write for an orchestra. The sheer spectrum of the instrument coupled with the 10 fingers of each player allows for an amazing ability to access all frequency zones of the low-mid- high ranges.

Also with the two arms of the pianist, we are able to divide up different rhythms between the two hands, therefore a plethora of syncopations are also possible just from one player!  The depth of expression that can be achieved is infinite and really allows the personality of each individual to shine. 

With so much power from one instrument also comes the responsibility of the player. It is through the medium of piano that we are able to share our interpretations with the world not only of the great works of the past, (everything from Bach & Duke Ellington to Bob Dylan & The Allman Brothers) but also our present-day music that tells a story about our culture and the current state of the world we live in. With this power of resonance with the human spirit through aural vibrations, we are able to morph the reality around us into a world that is hopefully better off when we leave it then when we entered it.

So find the music that inspires your soul, and chances are that same music will help inspire others around you! Then it is up to you how you share that music with the world, and someday maybe it will influence you to write your own music that tells your own story about the world.

Then take it to the stage (whether it be a small coffeehouse or large concert hall), let the lights shine down, and give it your best to inspire others to be the best version of themselves they can be. This could be just one way that we create a better world to live in for ourselves and the people of the future.

Look At That Motorcycle

“We are the music makers,
    And we are the dreamers of dreams”

-Arthur O’Shaughnessy/Willy Wonka

It’s my 8th birthday and I’m jumping out of my skin in anticipation of what might be behind the enormous piece of plywood my parents have carefully placed across the entrance to our living room. “We’re waiting for Grandpa to get here,” my mother cheerfully says, as the seconds continue to tick by, ever so glacially. 

My grandpa FINALLY arrives, walks across the kitchen, peeks behind the plywood, and exclaims “Oh my, look at that motorcycle in there!”  I assumed from the look of annoyance on my mother’s face that he’d given away the surprise, as I tried to pretend that I hadn’t heard him. 

I could hardly contain my excitement- “I’m getting a motorcycle!!!”  I immediately began to speculate as to how many girls the only eight-year-old boy in his school could pick up.

The plywood was pulled back and they had me close my eyes, as they led me slowly into the living room.  Images swirled in my mind. “Was it dark blue… or even better… shiny red, with gold sparkles?  What color is my helmet?!?  Do I get to wear cool boots and leather gloves?!?!?”

Suddenly, they stopped me in the center of the living room.  The moment of the big reveal had come!  “OK, open your eyes,” I heard someone say.  I opened them. There, sitting right before my eyes, was…. a piano. 

I did my best impersonation of an excited boy, but I suspect that the look on my face revealed a less-than-enthusiastic response from what my parents had hoped for.  It took a while for my mom to forgive my grandpa for having built up my expectations, but it took absolutely no time at all for me to realize that I’d been given one of the greatest gifts anyone could ever receive:  the gift of making music at the piano.

The piano and I have been best friends ever since, always there for me whenever I needed to express whatever emotion required expression in any particular moment.  In fact, there’s never been a time when I didn’t walk away from playing the piano not feeling at least a little more alive than when I’d started.

My goal is to spark that same lifelong passion for making music in my students, whether they wind up doing it in a professional capacity, purely for the sake of enjoyment, or they simply need a friend to turn to who will always be there and will never let them down.  

Since everyone learns differently and has different musical interests and goals as to what they want to achieve, I carefully tailor my teaching methods to the learning styles of each individual student.  I especially enjoy teaching students with special needs (or “special gifts,” as I prefer to say).  

But regardless of the type of student, the common element is a desire to give students a fundamental understanding of the language of music, so that no matter what style(s) they want to play, whether by ear or via the printed page, they know what it is they are expressing.

Making music is, after all, and above all else, about communicating in a way that bypasses the head and goes straight to the heart, which is why, like Sondheim, I consider teaching to be the sacred profession. As Oscar Hammerstein said, “By your pupils, you’ll be taught” and at the end of the day, I find my students to be my greatest teachers. 

Who could ask for anything more?

The Piano As An Extension Of One's Self - Part 1

Part 1: Video Games, Athleticism, And The Keyboard

Growing up I was into sports…and video games. From basketball to martial arts, I always proceeded to balance it out with a healthy dose of Mario Bro’s or Ninja Turtles.  For every minute spent sweating on the court or in the dojo, I had equal if not more time invested seated on a rug with a controller in my hands, my gaze riveted to a TV screen, my body contorting in hopes to make the characters on the screen move with me to avoid imminent death. One was three dimensional and the other quite two dimensional, but both were very much mentally stimulating, so I rarely, if ever, saw much difference between them, nor saw a need to discern between the two.

They were the Ying and Yang of my day until eventually there came a point where I continued to improve at videogames but plateaued at sports. Much to my chagrin, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force myself to jump higher, or run faster (and the more I strained, the worse it got), but in videogames, I could always refine my movements to be quicker and more accurate, and so a disparity arose that grew with time.

My young mind didn't have the insight or analytical skills at the time to realize something that was not revealed to me until much later, after graduating from college: in videogames, it is not so pivotal how you press the buttons physically—what your legs are doing, whether your shoulders are raised with static tension if you’re breathing well—as the game/avatar does the majority of that work for you, but in sports, the how of running, jumping, passing, kicking, or what have you, is where the true skill lies, what the majority erroneously call “natural talent”.

The new Michael Jordan documentary lays this out pretty clearly, as they make it evident that Michael was not innately good at basketball, losing often to his brother and performing averagely his first years of high school, but what Michael had on top of his unparalleled grit, determination, and competitive spirit was what dancers call “poise”.  A graceful and elegant bearing to his person that promoted balance and equilibrium throughout his body which in turn gave him that suspended quality when he would jump through the air to dunk the ball (hence earning him the moniker “Air” Jordan). 

Growth in any skill is always slow and steady, but it is poise (or rather, the continued maintenance of poise, for we all have this beautiful freedom of movement when we are young children) that gives us that extra lift after years of hard work and study, adding exponential growth to our skill curve and potentially catapulting one to be the best in their field.  Great examples include Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams,  and yes, pianists like Arthur Rubinstein. Poise is both physical and mental, and as a term applies so aptly to the world of piano and piano technique, as playing a keyboard instrument is, in my opinion, the ultimate hybrid between sports/martial arts and video games. 

Such a statement begs the question: “what importance does poise have to an instrument that is seemingly so nonathletic?” and even more importantly, “how does one continue to regain poise that they may have lost through years of screen watching and reading/writing, while learning a new skill as complex as the piano keyboard?”

We have only just touched on this idea of poise as it relates to making music and playing the piano, but I hope this primer will set the stage to explore this concept in further detail in a way that is more relatable to a majority of people. I look forward to diving deeper into this concept in my next blog post and breaking things down!                                                           

Why online piano lessons are better

Times are changing. And change is hard. It’s weird. It’s uncomfortable. But it also can bring a lot of great opportunities and chances to learn.

So don’t be afraid. Life goes on. Life always finds a way.

And today, the way for many of us is the internet.

While we are a big proponent of in-person lessons, online piano lessons are the way of the future. It’s a platform to learn in ways we never thought possible. We want to embrace the future and we want to ensure you that the future is bright.

A lot of folks have been asking about our online lessons. Are they really as good as in-person lessons? Can you really learn the piano over the internet?

Our answer is ABSOLUTELY! Technology has come so far that there is little difference between online lessons and in-person lessons. As a matter of fact, online lessons have quite a few advantages over in-person lessons.

So we thought we would share with you our…

Six Reasons Why Online Piano Lessons Are Better Than In-person Lessons

1. No commute. We all have busy lives and the time it takes to drive to and from piano lessons is valuable time. Without having to drive to your piano lesson, you just bought yourself anywhere from 10-30 minutes of free time each way. Imagine what you could do with that much extra time in your day?

2. No more driving kids all over town. Now your kids can take their lesson in the other room while you get a little alone time. Perhaps you can use that time to clean, work, cook or catch up on Netflix. Whatever you want to do - it’s your time!

3. Easy and simple. Technology has come a long way. With all the amazing online platforms we have now, all you have to do is click a link and you are ready to go. You can set up your computer, phone or tablet right by your piano or keyboard and you are all set. Let the learning begin!

4. Access to amazing teachers even if you live in a remote area. The internet connects us all, no matter where we live. We have had a lot of folks who were really interested in lessons but the drive to their teacher was just too far. With online lessons, we can bring the world’s best piano instructors right to your home! Problem solved.

5. You don’t have to wear pants. This is probably the best part of doing anything online. Just like working from home, you can take your online lesson while staying in your comfy clothes. No need to get all dressed up!

6. Safe. Whether you are worried about getting sick, getting someone else sick, going out in the cold, or driving in extreme weather conditions, online lessons keep us all safe in our homes while allowing us to connect and communicate with each other. Even if it’s “snowmaggedon” outside, you can still have your lesson!

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of benefits to in-person lessons. We still highly encourage our students to come out from behind their laptops and participate in the real world. As great as technology is, we still need to be in the same room as other people sometimes.

But when that just isn’t an option, online lessons give us all the same value that in-person lessons do and as you can see, they even offer a few advantages.

The point is the show must go on. The world needs music. We need to keep living our lives no matter what is going on in this crazy world of ours. Don’t give up on yourself or your future when it gets hard. Keep an open mind and look for solutions. They are always there.

And with online piano lessons, the solution for continuing your music education is here.

Why people quit taking piano lessons

Starting piano lessons is really fun. It’s always really exciting when someone starts. They get excited and see the possibility of it all. They dream about all the songs they are going to learn how to play. They picture themselves playing at the next family gathering and everyone singing along.

And we, as teachers, can see the hope in their eyes. It is such an inspiring and fun time for any student as well as any teacher.

But the inspiration and excitement never last forever. Those are just chemically induced emotions that go away as soon as the chemicals dry up. And the chemicals always dry up eventually. What is left after the initial inspiration wears off?

Reality. And the reality is this…

Learning anything new is hard

Learning the piano is hard. Learning anything is hard. And it takes a lot of time and effort. I think the number one reason people quit taking piano lessons is they start to see how hard it really is. Once they realize it is going to take some time and effort, they become overwhelmed. The voice of self-doubt starts to kick in and they begin to doubt that they have what it takes to stick it out.

The truth is they do. We all do. But many times we let that voice become so loud that we can’t hear the truth anymore. Once that voice is yelling in our ear, we will do anything to make it stop. This is when most people quit. Quitting makes the voice stop.

But there is another way to make it stop. And that is by NOT quitting.

The voice goes away either way. By running away from it or from facing it and yelling back. So many people choose to run away. It’s easier. It’s quicker. And then they can move on to the next thing they hope will bring them the happiness they crave. But those of us who stick it, get to feel something that these other people don’t.

Victory.

Victory shuts the voice down for good. It closes the argument. It allows you to settle into the life you have chosen. It gives you the freedom and solace from the wariness of constant searching. If you are continually searching for the next best thing, you will never find it. If you constantly live in the mentality of “I’ll be happy when…” you are by definition damning yourself to a life of unhappiness.

If you give up when it gets hard, you will never experience the good part. The victory. The victory is what causes the inspirational and fun emotions to return. The victory is where we all crave to be but tend to give up or let ourselves off the hook right before we get there.

Simple, but not easy.

The answer is simple but not easy. The answer is don’t quit. Don’t give up on something that you cared enough about to look up how to learn it, reach out to a stranger to teach it to you, and then give that stranger some of your hard-earned money to show you how to do it. You would never put that much effort into something that wasn’t really important to you.

If you took all these actions to get here, don’t give up on yourself now. The good part is coming. It is closer than you think, but you will never find it if you keep bailing right before it happens. You need to yell back at that voice of self-doubt and tell it you are doing this no matter what it takes. It will shut up eventually once it sees you are serious.

And then you will be able to settle down and get to work. Even more, you will be able to enjoy the work because you will know why you are doing the work. You are no longer teetering between giving up and sticking it out. You have made the conscious choice to go on.

Our promise to you.

Once you make that choice to go on, it is only a matter of time until you finally experience the victory you have so badly craved. It’s all up to you. It’s all in your mind. And we are here to help you along every step of the way. We won’t give up on you if you promise to not give up on yourself.

What Is The Key To Being a Great Piano Player?

There are so many things that go into being a great piano player. Patience. Discipline. Time. Energy. We could probably make a long list of things. But I think there is one quality that above all others is crucial if you want to be great.

Obsession is the key.

We often talk about obsession like it is a bad thing and for sure it can be. Obsession has been ample fodder for many Hollywood tales of love gone wrong. Or how about that detective who forgets to eat because they are so wrapped up in catching the bad guy. You’ve seen the movies. You know what I am talking about.

But there is also a positive side to obsession and it is this positive side that creates exceptional individuals, whether it is in art, politics, fitness, or any other field. Obsession creates winners.

Have you ever hung out with an exceptional musician? You may notice they can be pretty obsessive about certain things. They only like certain kinds of music. They are very specific about the gear they use. They have to sit a certain way at their instrument. If you pay close attention, you will start to see obsession at it’s best.

Why the best are the best.

There is a reason great piano players are so good at their instrument. It’s because they became obsessed with it. Ask any professional pianist and they will tell you the exact same story. It goes something like this.

When they were little, they heard someone play the piano. It may have been a parent, someone at church, or maybe they heard it on TV or the radio. Wherever their first encounter occurred, the results were always the same. They knew they loved what they heard and they knew that they had to figure out how to play like that.

They probably began tinkering at the piano before they ever took any lessons. They would sit there for hours trying to figure out songs note by note. Once they started taking lessons, they could fill in the gaps quicker which made it even more exciting.

Soon all they wanted to do was play the piano. They wanted to be the best. They wanted to play like their heroes. And as they began to learn more about music, they began to understand just how good they could be at it. It all made sense. And what didn’t make sense they were determined to figure out immediately.

Obsession or love?

This is what obsession looks like. But I think another way to put it is this is what love looks like. When you love someone, you want to spend all of your time with them. You want to get to understand them better. You want to be the best partner you can be. And you want all your friends and family to meet them so they can see how awesome they are too.

Music is the exact same way. When you know you love it, you want to spend all your time with it. You want to understand it better. You want to be the best at it. And you want to be able to share it with others so that it can bring the same joy into their life that it has brought into yours.

Embrace the obsession.

Whether you want to call it obsession or love, I am here say it is a beautiful thing. It has brought a lof of joy into my life over the years. It has also brought a lot of pain, but that’s how it goes with obsession just like love. Sometimes you get hurt, but it’s worth it in order to find the one who is going to bring so much joy into your life.

If you have the obsession don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it. Let it drive you to learn more. Let it take you to new places. It may not always be an easy road, but it will be one well worth traveling. And the world will be a better place because you did.

Am I too old to take piano lessons?

Over the years, I have had many conversations with piano students, young and old. It has been really interesting to learn about people’s fears and expectations out of life.

I have talked to many adults who truly believe that it is too late to learn anything new. They think they are stuck in their ways and it’s too late for them.

But then there is a second kind of adult. The one who wants more.

Here is a little known fact about us here at STL Piano Lessons…

We actually have more adult students than we do kid students.

And don’t get me wrong, we love our kids. But there are a lot of adults out there who want more out of life. And we get to see them doing just that every day. They choose to turn their dreams into reality. To take action and pursue the things they have always loved. It’s truly inspiring to see.

And yet, there are many who get stuck in fear. They are curious but still afraid. And the first question they always ask me is…

Am I too old to take piano lessons?

When we think of piano lessons, we think of kids and that’s fair. It’s what you do when you are a kid. You go to school, you ride your bike and you take piano lessons. Those are the quintessential elements of a positive childhood.

But why does it have to stop at childhood? Why can’t we continue to grow and learn as we get older? Well, we can. We all can. And although many adults get paralyzed with fear, there are those who push through to the other side.

There are actually 3 types of adults who seem to push through.

Type #1: These are adults in their early twenties. They just got out of college and got a real job. Suddenly they don’t have to go to school anymore and they find they have some free time. They also have a real job now with some disposable income. And now that they have some time and money, it’s time to take some piano lessons.

Type #2: This is the thirty-something dude (or dudette) who has a corporate job. He makes a good living, has a good life, but his party days are winding down. He is starting to realize that he is getting older and he wants to do something to better himself. He is looking for self-improvement or at the very least a fun hobby. Why not take piano lessons?

Type #3: The retiree. We actually get a lot of students who are recently retired. They find they finally have the free time they have always wanted to pursue things that are important to them. Many times they have been a lifelong fan of music but were so caught up with their jobs and raising a family, that they had no time to pursue it. Once they retire and the kids are out of the house, they finally have the time to pursue their passions. Time to finally pursue the piano.

The one thing that most adults have in common

No matter which type they are, most adult students have one thing in common.

They all took lessons when they were a kid and quit way too early.

Their parents made them take lessons and they hung in for a few years, but eventually, they quit to pursue other things. They got bored or distracted, as kids tend to do, and they never came back to the piano.

Most adult students say they wish they never quit taking lessons. Some of them say that it is one of the biggest regrets of their life. I have had this conversation time and time again.

I guess I tell you all this for two reasons.

If you have kids, make them take piano lessons.

Make your kids take piano lessons. And make them stick to it for a while. Kids will whine and complain, they will want to quit, they will want to try other things. But I guarantee you, when they grow up, they will regret quitting. They will wish they had stuck it out. One of the best gifts you can give your kids is the gift of music. I promise, they will thank you for it one day.

The second reason I tell you all this is if any of these adult types sound like you, it is not too late to take piano lessons. It is never too late to learn something new. Matter of fact, taking piano lessons as an adult is such a rewarding experience. When you are an adult, you are there because you want to be not because you have to be. Suddenly, learning the piano becomes fun and exciting. It is a totally different experience as an adult.

Your goals change too as an adult. Suddenly, just being able to sit down and play a few songs on the piano sounds like an amazing way to spend an evening. And it is.

Whether you have taken lessons before or not, that goal is not as far away as you think. You have all that it takes to get there. All you have to do is get started.

It’s never too late

It’s so easy to think about doing something. To dream and say “that would be really cool.” But it’s a whole other thing to do it. And once you decide to take action, your whole world changes. Life opens up. Hope comes alive and you see a whole new world of possibility for yourself.

You are never too old to take piano lessons. If you are breathing, you need to keep pushing yourself to do new things. A whole world is waiting for you if you are just willing to push on through to the other side.

Which adult are you? Are you paralyzed by fear or are you willing to take some action? No matter which one you are, we would love to talk to you about it. And when you are ready, so are we.

The Most Important Part Of Your Piano Practice Routine

When we think of musicians, I think a lot of us think of the starving artist. The miserable musician that is suffering for his art. No one understands his genius. He is constantly tormented by those who are better than him, so he puts in absurd hours of practice. It’s the only way to be great.

Then we idolize these people. We put them on a pedestal. And in order to be as great as them, we believe we have to suffer like them.

So we tell ourselves we have to push ourselves harder. We need to reach for perfection to be great. Anything short of perfection is a failure. And failure is not an option.

And so our musical lives begin by committing to all the big principles. Discipline. Perseverance. Consistent practice. Determination. Time. Effort. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of all those things. Well, maybe not the blood. I mean, if you are bleeding it is definitely time to take a 10-minute break.

But as important as all these things are, there is one thing that is way more important when it comes to practicing the piano…

You have got to be kind to yourself.

I have seen it time and time again in many of my students. The perfectionist syndrome. We all want to be great at something. And we think the way to become great is to push ourselves harder and harder. We all watch Gary Vaynerchuck videos on YouTube telling us that we are slacking off and so we think the only way to improve is to work harder.

Although hard work does pay off, there is a line that you can cross and once you do, you actually begin to impede your progress.

I am totally a perfectionist. I do it too. I tend to think that in order to be respected, I have to be flawless. I have to be the best. No excuses. But that drive turns into self-loathing really fast. And as soon as I start hating myself for not being good enough, I suddenly lose my motivation to practice. I get down on myself. I lose hope and I see no point in trying anymore. In simple terms, I give up.

If you give up, you will never achieve greatness.

That seems like an obvious point, but the reason I make it is because I want you to see that perfectionism leads to giving up. You may start out with great intentions, but the more you beat yourself up, the more you are setting yourself up to fail. And if you don’t stop yourself from going down that road, it is just a matter of time until you give up. I promise you will.

I don’t want you to give up. I want you to succeed. I want you to achieve your goals with the piano. And the only way you are going to do that is by being kind to yourself. You have to let go of those impossible expectations you keep putting on yourself. You will never achieve perfection. It’s never going to happen. Matter of fact, you can’t get better at something without failing a lot and the piano is no different.

You need to make mistakes.

The mistakes we make while playing the piano are exactly the things that make us better. You need to make mistakes to learn. You need to make a lot of them. Every time you mess up, you shouldn’t yell at yourself expecting perfection. You should smile and be glad you have the opportunity to get better.

Think about it. If you never made a mistake, how would you know how to improve? You wouldn’t. You couldn’t. The mistakes show us new techniques. The mistakes help us fix the small things we are doing wrong. The mistakes make us better. There is no way around it.

So if you know you need to make mistakes to improve, can you learn to be kind to yourself when you make them? I admit it is not always easy. Especially in this culture we live in where we are taught to always work harder and longer. Better. Stronger. Faster.

How to achieve greatness.

We place too much importance on hard work and not enough on giving ourselves a break. In order to be great, we need to have a combination of work ethic and kindness. Kindness is something we need to start practicing, just like our scales. It needs to be a regular part of our practice routine.

As a matter of fact, I think it is the most important element of our practice routine. Without kindness, the whole house of cards will crumble fast. Think of kindness as the foundation for all that you do with music. If you can start from a place of grace, then you can allow yourself to make all the mistakes that you need to make to become the player you want to be.

With a little bit of kindness, it’s just a matter of time until you achieve the greatness you have always dreamed of. And this time you won’t give up before you get there.

Why The Piano Is So Much Cooler Than Any Other Instrument

That’s right. I said it. The piano is way cooler than any other instrument on the planet.

That doesn’t mean I don’t love all types of musical instruments, because I do. I actually used to play trumpet in my younger years and I loved it.

I love my brother and sister musicians and have huge respect for anyone who learns to play an instrument well, so please understand this blog post is all in good fun.

I can’t play the guitar, at least not very well. And I sure can’t play the trombone, so hear me when I say that it takes time and dedication to be good at any instrument. Every instrument is needed to make the world of music the full and wonderful place that it is.

So that being said, here is why the piano is better than any other instrument.

Why The Piano Is So Much Cooler Than Any Other Instrument

1. The piano is the only instrument that is laid out horizontally instead of vertically. It is easier to see what you are doing and understand what is going on. The guitar is vertical. Wind instruments are either vertical or use valve combinations. Most instruments tend to be very confusing at first. But the piano makes sense. You can look at a piano and start to see the patterns. You can see the black note pattern of 2 and 3. That’s why I think the piano is the best instrument to learn first. It’s not just because I am a piano player. It’s because of the way it is laid out which makes it easier to understand and learn music theory.

2. It is super easy to play the piano. Anyone can do it. You don’t have to worry about the proper breathing techniques. Or proper mouth placement. You can just bang on the keys and music comes out. Now, that’s not to say it doesn’t take some time to learn how to make the piano sound good. But to create a sound on the piano is pretty easy compared to other instruments.

3. You can’t play the piano out of tune. As long as the piano has been properly tuned by a professional, you will play in tune every time. There is nothing you can do in your playing to make the piano sound out of tune. I can’t think of any other instruments like that. With the guitar, you have to make sure your fingers are placed right in the center of the tabs. With wind instruments, there are a million things that can cause you to play out of tune like breath support, proper embouchure, your mouthpiece, etc. But with the piano, you just sit down and play.

4. The piano makes you a one-man-band. More than any other instrument, you have everything you need in the piano. Your left hand can cover the bass and rhythm. Your right hand can cover the harmony and melody. You don’t need any other instruments to make a full sound. That’s why you see a lot of piano bars around the world. Have you ever seen a guitar bar or a drum bar?

5. Piano players can play two things at the same time. With piano you have two hands, each playing different parts. Piano players have to be able to read bass clef and treble clef. We can do it all. It’s true that guitar players use both hands, but one is only for strumming or picking. Drummers are for sure the kings of rhythmic coordination, but still, they don’t have to read notes, only rhythms. With piano, we do it all - rhythm, harmony and melody. Left hand and right hand. Bass clef and treble clef.

The best place to start.

I could go on and on but my main purpose for this blog post is to show you all the wonderful qualities of the piano. If you are thinking of learning more about music, or you have a child that you want to expose to the world of music, I highly recommend starting with the piano. They may move on to other instruments down the road, but starting with the piano is going to give them a huge jump start.

What if I don’t want to buy a piano?

The one thing that can be challenging with the piano, is buying and making room for an actual piano. But I have good news for you. With all the amazing technology in the world these days, there are some amazing keyboards out there that sound and feel just like a piano. These keyboards are easy to move, easy to make room for and always stay in tune.

I actually made a Keyboard For Beginners guide. It will give you my top 5 suggestions for really affordable keyboards that sound and feel great. Hit the button below to get the guide for free!

Whatever instrument you land on, I can’t wait to see where it takes you. There is nothing like being able to play a musical instrument. I may be partial to the piano, but the truth is you can’t go wrong. Just pick one and get started today.

Why do I need a piano teacher?

We live in an amazing age. Anything we want to learn is just a Google search away.

Just last weekend I learned how to change the headlight lamp in my car. A simple task for a mechanic, but for me, it was a mystery until I watched two and a half minutes of a YouTube video and suddenly I was an expert.

I think it is amazing what we can learn at the drop of a hat. You used to have to at least get into a car and go to a library. But now all the answers we need are in our laps. Pretty cool.

There are some things, however, that still require some human interaction. Especially if you want to get really good at something.

For instance, to figure out how to fix my car headlight, I just needed to watch a video. But if I wanted to become a mechanic and open my own garage, I would need something more. I would need a mentor to teach me and show me the ropes.

I would also need a guide to help me sort through the information overload that is the internet. Sure there are videos for everything I want to learn, but to become an expert, what order do I watch the videos in? What do I do first? Who do I trust? Which videos are giving me correct information and which videos are creating bad habits in me?

So when people ask me “Why do I need a piano teacher?” here are the 5 reasons I give them:

1. You need a guide. To learn something so complex as piano, you need a guide. There is so much information out there, how can you possibly know where to start? You need someone who can make sense of all the noise out there and show you exactly what to do. They can give you a step by step plan and help you figure out what your musical goals are.

2. You need a mentor. An expert who knows their craft inside and out, can teach you all the subtle things along the way that videos can’t teach you. You can watch them do their thing, in person. You can literally look over their shoulder and see how they do it. Then you can ask them questions and have an instant dialogue instead of hoping some YouTube creator answers your comment when they get around to it.

3. You need accountability. We all have done it. We say we want to do something, we may even start, but usually, we give up quick. We get distracted and make excuses. A teacher keeps you accountable. When you know you have a lesson on Tuesday, you are much more likely to sit down and practice.

4. You need motivation. A teacher is more than just a human YouTube video. They are an actual person. And since they are a person, they can tell when another person needs a push. Your teacher is there to encourage you, to remind you why you started taking piano lessons in the first place. You can think of your piano teacher as a personal trainer. They are there to give you the push you need when you need it. They will keep you focused and headed towards your goal.

5. You need a chance to perform. This may be the biggest thing a YouTube video cannot give you - a chance to actually perform in front of people. A really important part of learning any instrument is being able to show off your hard work. Knowing that you are going to perform a piece in front of people will drive you to work harder. It makes you a better musician. You get to perform in front of your teacher weekly. And then, as a student of your teacher, you get to participate in student recitals where you can perform in front of your friends and family. The feeling of accomplishment you get after performing something in public that you have worked really hard, is truly an amazing feeling. And I promise, once you do it once, you will want to do it again.

The bottom line is if you are serious about becoming a piano player, you need a piano teacher. With all the amazing strides in technology, there is no substitute for the real thing. The tried and true mentor to apprentice relationship still wins every time.

And surely there are some videos you can use along the way to help you learn certain things in more detail. The combination of YouTube and a teacher can make you anything you want to be. And if you want to be a piano player, we have got some amazing teachers just waiting to meet you!