PIANO LESSONS
"I never dreamt that with my own two hands, I could touch the sky." --Sappho
Students at Mindful Music don’t just learn a few pieces to play; they develop the habits and skills of well-rounded creative musicians. Jonathan’s nurturing and patient approach makes practicing fun and empowering for each student. Lessons at all levels include the following:
Mindfulness Exercises: for developing mental focus, confidence, and physical awareness
Piano technique studies: consisting of scales, arpeggios, chords, and warm-up exercises for developing strength, flexibility, accuracy, and coordination of the hands
Repertoire: practicing and performing stimulating pieces representing a variety of styles and time periods
Musicianship: music theory, history, and ear training to develop musical creativity and understanding
Sight reading: to enable the student to learn music independently of the teacher
Accompanying skills (optional for advancing students): keyboard harmony (playing lead sheets), and other skills needed to play popular and classical music with others
Feedback between lessons: the studio uses an innovative online portal to post assignments and learning materials, and allows students to send videos to the teacher for feedback between lessons.
Friendly, low-stress performance opportunities: approximately every 6 weeks, students meet in three age groups (Grades K-5, 6-12, and adult) to perform, play duets, and enjoy a fun group learning activity. The studio also holds two recitals per year in Center City Philadelphia.
For students looking for extra challenges: auditions, recitals, festivals, as well as examinations for the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Three types of lessons are offered to meet each student’s age, skill level, and musical goals:
30-minute lessons: for young beginning students aged 4 through 8.
45-minute lessons: for beginning and intermediate students, age 9 through adult
60-minute lessons: for developing and advanced students, ages 11 through adults
Instruction is provided in the studio or online. Jonathan is a leader in online teaching who gives workshops helping other teachers to teach online. To provide outstanding audio and video quality, the studio is acoustically treated and equipped with multiple cameras and high-quality microphones. We also use an optimized internet connection and Zoom’s premium High Fidelity Music Mode to maximize call quality.