Children's Piano Lessons at Hillside Music

Some children "live" music from an early age - children like Mozart. They can't get enough music. They are so focused on music that they nearly absorb any music available to them. They love their piano and keyboard lessons. Then there are those who dabble. They love to sing or experiment with instruments, but they need help putting the pieces together. And finally, there are the children who would prefer to not be bothered with music at all.

In addition, each child comes with his own bent toward learning. Some learn best by listening, others by touching, and others by seeing something done.

Hillside Music’s Vision for Children

Here at Hillside Music, our primary goal is to help our students find joy in making music. We work with students on an individual basis during each piano or keyboard lesson. While many of our students cover the same material, they may do that in different ways than their peers do. This personalized method of instruction at Hillside Music allows more freedom to keep the lessons interesting and fun for students.

How It Works

For children, one of the most difficult aspects of learning to play the piano is the fact that one must learn the “code” for reading music. Often piano instruction requires knowledge about the written code (i.e. music notes & symbols) before a student can make recognizable music. For many students the repetitive theory drill required causes the lessons to become dry and uninteresting before they are able to experience the fun of making music. Here at Hillside Music, we believe children should experience the joy of making music while learning all the necessary theory.

First, children who take piano or keyboard lessons at Hillside Music are taught to make real music – often learning a song at their very first lesson. We start by teaching simple chords and patterns and grow from there. Second, we incorporate games into the learning process. Rather than a lesson consisting of a child just playing all their songs for the instructor, they spend time at the piano, and then move to the game table for additional work on theory. Some of our students think the theory time is the most fun – especially if their parents join in! Finally, students are encouraged to take time at home to practice the things they’ve learned in their lesson; this solidifies the learning and assists the child in progressing more rapidly.

What Music We Use

All students at Hillside Music are supplied with a 3-ring binder in which to place each song they receive at their piano lessons. The songs vary a great deal by the current level of learning.

Beginning Students

The instructor, David Hill, creates arrangements of songs in a way to help students begin making music very quickly – usually during the first lesson. Initially, the songs include fingering numbers and chord names. As students progress, chords names are exchanged for left-hand notes, and fingering numbers are used only when needed.

For students who need additional assistance, we are able to provide play-along CDs to assist with the at-home practice time.

More Advanced Students

For students who have already advanced past the basics of piano instruction, the songs chosen are of a more difficult nature. Additional books or resources may be used at this level while continuing to build on the basics of theory and technique.

Students who already know rhythms, music symbols, and timing will be assisted in adding to their knowledge about notation, improvisation, and accompaniment.

If you have a child interested in piano lessons, contact Hillside Music today!