Learn Piano your way with a TakeLessons expert

By Alex E.-Chicago Piano Teacher

At nine years old I was begging my Mom to let me take violin lessons; it had become a weekly habit. My Mom, being the intelligent woman she is, insisted that I take piano lessons and she would rifle off her reasons as to the importance of taking lessons. It wasn't until I was in college that I realized that she insisted on piano because A.) Violins are expensive. B.) We already owned a piano. C.) She wasn't sure how long I would stick with it. After my first lesson I was sold!...and my Mom breathed a sigh of relief. When I turned fifteen, I was begging that we buy a baby grand piano and move it into my room. I was completely taken with the piano!

My love for teaching is constantly growing. When I'm teaching one of my beginner students, I see myself sitting on that bench, legs not long enough to reach the floor, and looking at my teacher wide eyed with a grin from ear to ear when I actually played something correctly. The look a student gets on their face is extremely rewarding and that moment makes it all worth it.

One student in particular comes to mind. She would get frustrated in our lessons and say, "Why do I have to play the left hand; I hate the left hand." I remember those days myself. She has been working very hard and it has taken some time, but she is now progressing nicely. I push her hard because I know she has potential and my motto is... "You have to be bad before you can be great."