As a piano teacher for many years, I was unhappy with the results of traditional piano methods. Too many students took piano lessons for too many years and still couldn't play the piano. In 1998, I took Suzuki piano training and had been teaching by that method since then. However, I was still not happy with the results of the method.
In July, 2005, I heard about the Simply Music method of teaching piano. This method is what I had been looking for! Like the Suzuki method it is playing based, rather than reading based. Just as students learn to speak before they learn to read, they learn to play before they learn to read music.
There are four distinguishing features that separate Simply Music from other, traditional programs:
• The quantity of music that students learn
• The quality of music that students immediately learn to play
• The speed of progress
• The ease with which students experience the process
Student Goals
When comparing Simply Music to other programs, it is important to understand that my stated goals are distinctly different from traditional methods. My foundation for achieving results, and the thrust of my efforts, are directed towards the following goals for students:
• Having the ability to play a very large repertoire covering contemporary, classical, blues, jazz as well as accompaniment pieces
• Experiencing playing as a natural self-expression
• Having a highly positive, self-affirming experience with music learning
• Developing the ability to self-generate. i.e. the ability to progress independently. This includes developing a foundation of music reading, writing, composition, improvisation, arrangement, structure and theory, etc.
