Cost of Piano Lessons?

Chookie wrote:
In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Ah, if it's sort of a music/movement/fun with piano
class, that's one thing. I was thinking more in terms of
traditional piano lessons. I would think those would be
boring in a group setting for a young child. What you
describe sounds reasonably appropriate.
I always have some mixed emotions about that
sort of thing, though. I think the overall music exposure
stuff is good, but I think it is good for you to keep an
eye on the technique just to make sure he doesn't learn
any bad habits. At piano festival last month, I heard a
lot of young kids play who just had *horrible* hand
position. Their wrists were hanging below the keys,
their fingers were all splayed out and not playing on
their tips, their fingers were all floppy, etc. I sure
wouldn't want to clean up that mess! They also didn't
seem to have much musical sense. They were just banging
out the notes with no sense of phrasing or musicality
(or much rhythm, for that matter). On the other hand,
I suppose it took a lot more for them to get to that
state than a little bit of early piano ;-)

LOL, I would think so! The only thing that worries me about Forte is their
annual concert, where the kids play "ensemble" pieces in unison. The pieces
they play at the lower levels are very simple (it's all just to get them used
to performing). Last year, DS1 played from C to G in sequence, for example,
to imitate a rocket countdown. That's fine. But there is something terribly
wrong when a bunch of 10yos are playing the start of Fur Elise in unison!

Well, but I imagine if he were still playing
piano at 10 years old, you'd have moved him to private
lessons by then, no? ;-) Really, you just can't learn
all the skills you need only playing in an ensemble--
especially one where everyone's playing in unison!

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
Chookie wrote:
In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Ah, if it's sort of a music/movement/fun with piano
class, that's one thing. I was thinking more in terms of
traditional piano lessons. I would think those would be
boring in a group setting for a young child. What you
describe sounds reasonably appropriate.
I always have some mixed emotions about that
sort of thing, though. I think the overall music exposure
stuff is good, but I think it is good for you to keep an
eye on the technique just to make sure he doesn't learn
any bad habits. At piano festival last month, I heard a
lot of young kids play who just had *horrible* hand
position. Their wrists were hanging below the keys,
their fingers were all splayed out and not playing on
their tips, their fingers were all floppy, etc. I sure
wouldn't want to clean up that mess! They also didn't
seem to have much musical sense. They were just banging
out the notes with no sense of phrasing or musicality
(or much rhythm, for that matter). On the other hand,
I suppose it took a lot more for them to get to that
state than a little bit of early piano ;-)

LOL, I would think so! The only thing that worries me about Forte is
their
annual concert, where the kids play "ensemble" pieces in unison. The
pieces
they play at the lower levels are very simple (it's all just to get them
used
to performing). Last year, DS1 played from C to G in sequence, for
example,
to imitate a rocket countdown. That's fine. But there is something
terribly
wrong when a bunch of 10yos are playing the start of Fur Elise in
unison!

Well, but I imagine if he were still playing
piano at 10 years old, you'd have moved him to private
lessons by then, no? ;-) Really, you just can't learn
all the skills you need only playing in an ensemble--
especially one where everyone's playing in unison!

The music and movement classes with piano for children I know of all stop
after two years of instruction, which would be between ages 7-9, depending
on when the child started. I know Musikgarten has the children playing in an
ensemble with different parts in year 2 as well, basically orff-type
orchestrations but played on piano. I don't know as much about Harmony Road,
since no one offers it in this area and I'd have to travel cross-country to
take a teacher workshop in it.

The only program I know of which is group piano past that point is Simply
Music, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone planning to study seriously.
Its more designed for adults who want to learn just how to play melodies and
accompany with chords than children who have the potential to go farther.
It's similar to the "Piano for elementary school teachers/group beginning
piano" classes most colleges offer as part of their general ed requirements
(and, honestly, the college class for non-credit would likely be cheaper on
a per-semester basis).


--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Kindermusik
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)
Best wishes,
Ericka

Donna Metler wrote:

The only program I know of which is group piano past that point is Simply
Music, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone planning to study seriously.
Its more designed for adults who want to learn just how to play melodies and
accompany with chords than children who have the potential to go farther.
It's similar to the "Piano for elementary school teachers/group beginning
piano" classes most colleges offer as part of their general ed requirements
(and, honestly, the college class for non-credit would likely be cheaper on
a per-semester basis).

Yeah, my experience with group piano was the college
course required of all music school students who couldn't pass
the piano proficiency test. However, everyone in the class was
already an accomplished musician with some other instrument,
and so had their musical foundations already laid and didn't
have to be reminded every few minutes about hand position and
so forth. It didn't make me a proficient piano player by
any means--probably any more than just meeting the minimum
foreign language requirement gets one proficient at speaking
a foreign language ;-) The goal was just exposure to a
particular level, and that's what I got. At least it's
enough to ride herd on my kids' piano practice (though
precious little more than that)!

Best wishes,
Ericka

In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Well, but I imagine if he were still playing
piano at 10 years old, you'd have moved him to private
lessons by then, no? ;-) Really, you just can't learn
all the skills you need only playing in an ensemble--
especially one where everyone's playing in unison!

Actually it was more the idea of *Fur Elise* in unison that bothered me!
Hardly puts it in its best light. From what I understand they have *group
lessons* to age 11, not just unison playing. I overheard a conversation
between a teacher and a parent, and the teacher recommended group lessons for
as long as possible, because they were more stimulating than playing and
practising alone -- and yes, they do offer private lessons.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

Chookie wrote:
In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Well, but I imagine if he were still playing
piano at 10 years old, you'd have moved him to private
lessons by then, no? ;-) Really, you just can't learn
all the skills you need only playing in an ensemble--
especially one where everyone's playing in unison!

Actually it was more the idea of *Fur Elise* in unison that bothered me!
Hardly puts it in its best light.

Well, that's for sure! ;-) Although I think it's
quite amusing that neither of my piano playing kids have
encountered that piece yet. I thought it was some sort of
cosmic requirement ;-)

From what I understand they have *group
lessons* to age 11, not just unison playing. I overheard a conversation
between a teacher and a parent, and the teacher recommended group lessons for
as long as possible, because they were more stimulating than playing and
practising alone -- and yes, they do offer private lessons.

Wow, I can't really believe that. I've had group
lessons and private lessons, and private lessons are far
more interesting and engaging. I think my kids' situation
is ideal. They have private lessons, but with a very active
studio. During the school year, they have two recitals and
at least one festival. Before each of those three events,
they have a group class where all the kids in the studio
get together to play musical games and play their pieces
for one another and get comments. In addition, there's
a pre-Christmas group class where each student prepares
a piece in secret and presents it to the teacher as a gift
(playing it in front of everyone). So, they get the
camaraderie of being in a group, which is nice since there
isn't normally any ensemble playing as a pianist until
you're pretty advanced, but the attention and discipline
of private lessons.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Chookie wrote:

Actually it was more the idea of *Fur Elise* in unison that bothered me!
Hardly puts it in its best light.

Well, that's for sure! ;-) Although I think it's
quite amusing that neither of my piano playing kids have
encountered that piece yet. I thought it was some sort of
cosmic requirement ;-)

What, you mean it isn't??? boggle

:-)

--
C, mama to three year old nursling