- Qualified piano teacher (BMus, MMus)
- 18 years’ experience
- Studio lessons in South Strathfield OR
Lessons at your home in the following areas:
- Strathfield
- Burwood
- Enfield
- Croydon
- Ashfield
- Summer Hill
- Inner West
Online piano lessons with FaceTime or Skype.
CONTACT: 0434 898 925 / music@calogeropanvino.com
Why learn Piano?
Music allows you to share ideas and feelings in a way that is beyond the power of words or images. It appeals to your emotions and excites the imagination. More music has been written for piano than any other instrument. Its versatility lends it to a wide range of different styles, so you will always have a wealth of music at your fingertips. Piano is very visual. When playing you can actually see the patterns and understand how music is put together. It gives you a solid grounding in music which can be extremely helpful if you ever decide to try another instrument. And finally, it’s great solo or as accompaniment, so you can enjoy playing alone or with friends.
Lessons & Fees
Lessons normally occur once a week and are either for 1 hour or 30 minutes. Most of the time is allocated to performing on the piano. However, a small portion of each lesson is reserved for music theory and aural skills.
Studio lesson fees: $80 / hour or $40 / half-hour
Home lesson fees: add $20
Online lesson fees: $80 / hour or $40 / half-hour
Expectations
Playing the piano is enjoyable but it is challenging if you want to do it well. Accomplished performers often make difficult feats appear easy but this belies years of diligent practice. Be realistic about what it is you would like to achieve. For students taking examinations the minimum recommended practice times are:
Grades 1 to 3: 30 ~ 45 mins, 5 days / week
Grades 4 to 6: 45 ~ 60 mins, 5 days / week
Grades 7 to 8: 1 ~ 2 hrs, 5 days / week
AMus to LMus: 2 ~ 4 hrs, 6 days / week
Exams & Eisteddfords
Examinations and eisteddfods are not for everyone. For some people they make learning too stressful. For others, they result in too much or too little time spent on meeting particular requirements. I do not insist on them. However, they can be helpful as a means of benchmarking your ability and providing motivation to practice. If you decide you would like to attempt examinations or eisteddfods, I can guide you through the process to ensure you achieve the best results possible.
Goals
Whether or not you wish to sit for examinations or perform in eisteddfods, it is important to have goals. It could be as simple as learning one short piece every couple of months or playing a Christmas carol at the end of the year. Remember: goals don’t need to be ambitious but they do need to be realistic. And fun!
Listen to Music
One of the easiest ways to improve your playing is by listening to recordings and going to concerts. Start with piano recordings but don’t stop there. Listen to chamber and orchestral music, operas and different styles of music. Youtube is an invaluable resource—and it’s free. Use it to see how other people play the pieces you are learning and to discover new works that you might want to play in the future.
Beginners
If you are considering taking up piano, here are some things to consider:
- What type of music would you like to play?
- How much time can you set aside for piano practice each week? Remember, regular practice is essential if you want to improve.
- For young beginners, it is important that your parents take an active interest in your studies.
- Do you need a piano?
If you don’t own a piano, wait before rushing to buy one. As a beginner all that is initially required is a keyboard with full-size keys. A relatively inexpensive electronic keyboard with at least 4 octaves is perfectly adequate for the early stages. Alternatively, you might want to consider leasing a piano for 3 months. Should you realise later that a piano would be a worthwhile investment, the money spent on the lease will not be lost as most piano shops will allow you to deduct some or all of it from the purchase price.