Students with Prior Experience

Showing 21 - 30 of 55 results in Students with Prior Experience

Traditional Students to SM

I have started teaching another 6 week session at our community center here. The first one I taught went amazingly well. Everyone got it and I am now teaching lessons to 2 of my previous students from that class. So, I just started another one.…

Teaching older students with prior experience

I currently have 21 students ranging from the age of 6 to 67 with varying degrees of existing piano playing ability. In particular, I have a 65-year-old lady who has had extensive traditional experience and composes her own music. In spite of this, she insisted…

Switching from Traditional to SM

I’m a new teacher here and I’ve already started one class of young kids who are excited to learn, and I’m excited to teach them. This is great, I’m having fun and feel totally good about this for them. However, I’m having an issue with…

Getting What Simply Music Is All About

I shared this story with Neil a few months ago, but wanted to wait awhile before passing it on, so I could share with you how the situation worked itself out. I have had a (traditional) student, Erin, for several years that I recently transitioned…

Experienced Students

I find I have to remind myself to breathe as my first lesson looms ever nearer. With more information from the dad about my very first 2 students, I am getting more nervous by the minute. He has told me that he has had Traditional…

Developing a New Relationship with Written Music

I am a new teacher to Simply Music but have been teaching traditional piano for the last 10 years. As a result, I’ve been transitioning a number of my students over to Simply Music. I have a girl who has been with me for the…

Advanced Students – Beginning Projects

I have two students who play very well (at about grade 5 AMEB level) and can read music reasonably well whom I have recently converted to Simply Music. They have had about 5 years experience with traditional lessons. I am currently taking them through foundation…

Taking on Advanced Students

Yesterday, an amazing 16 year old boy looking for a piano teacher came by my studio to talk with me. Although he had traditional lessons in the past, he has been his own teacher for the last several years but feels the need for some…

Skipping/Omitting Pieces in the Simply Music Program


A friend from church has talked with me a couple of times about her 15-year-old daughter who has been taking traditional piano lessons for 6 years. She doesn’t want to take from her teacher anymore because the teacher wants her to play only classical. She…

Prior Experience Students Doing Reading-based Projects

I know this is an old thread, but I too have struggled with the student with prior experience. While I agree with introducing C& I, Arrangements, and Accomp, and boning up with the Reading rhythm and notes, my question is this: Do you still have…