That depends! There is no “perfect age” to begin taking piano lessons. Every child is highly individual and I always suggest scheduling a month of trial lessons in order to fully assess whether or not a particular child is ready and interested, no matter what age they are.

Readiness is always a highly individual process with many factors. We’ll always do trial lessons no matter the age of any student, but some of the things that I look for to determine readiness are a child’s ability to listen and follow instructions, their willingness to engage and respond, and their interest level in music itself. If a student struggles to respond or engage with the majority of questions, tasks, music, activities, etc., I typically recommend that they return for another trial lesson in 6-12 months’ time. This does not mean that they will not grow to be an incredible musician! This just means that we’re allowing their social and cognitive skills to develop a little further before introducing them to an environment that may otherwise overwhelm them and cause their musical journey to be filled with tears and frustration. The longevity of a positive relationship is a key ingredient to any students’ ultimate musical success.

For the especially young students (under 6 years old), I do require that a parent in the home either have a comfortable amount of musical knowledge themselves, or enroll in lessons alongside their child. With students this young, it’s imperative that a parent is committed to being an active participant in their child’s musical growth—something that is much easier to do when the parent has an understanding of everything being explored so that they can help guide their little one through weekly practice!

For some families, this looks like a parent and a child sharing a 1-hour lesson time slot. For others, this may look like a parent receiving a full hour lesson of their own while their child is enrolled in their own (adjacent) lesson time. When you reach out, let me know a little about your music history and we’ll go from there!

While I never stop growing as a teacher, I do have limitations on what I feel skilled enough in to teach well. There are three main students that I guide towards more specifically skilled teachers: those interested in jazz, those interested in music composition + production, and those interested in being a competitor or performing artist.

No one deserves to be held back from living their best life, so I’m a firm believer in being able to acknowledge where you might not be able to provide a student with the best education for their goals. For this reason, there are a few types of students that I typically recommend to other teachers.

While I do build strong foundations with all of my students and educate hobbyist students through advanced level repertoire, thoroughly preparing students for the demanding environment of concerts and competitions is best accomplished if the teachers themselves have specific experience in those areas. If this is what you desire, you can often find these teachers teaching at music-focused private schools and universities, college music departments, or being otherwise associated with the types of competitions or concerts that you wish to work towards. These teachers typically have a robust network of professional connections that can help their students advance and make a career out of musical performance.

I also currently choose not to take on students that are interested in studying jazz or who are hoping to do a deep dive into music composition and production. I myself have not studied jazz piano music or theory specifically (although this is a bucket list item for me—so perhaps this will change someday!), and my composition skills are not extensive enough to carry someone to a musical composition and production career. I love teaching with the composition skills that I do have and often bring elements of composing and improvising into my lessons, but can do so only up to a certain extent. If you’re hoping to go pro, look for a teacher who specifically teaches music composition/theory/production, and you’ll be on a much better path towards your goals.

Age, skill, abilities…none of it matters. My favorite students are those who are curious, engaged, eager, patient, and consistent. We’ll have an incredible journey together if that sounds like you!

I truly love what I do—that isn’t just a feel-good statement intended to inspire your admiration. I truly feel this job as an honor. I pour myself into my students and I deeply care about each and every one. I will do everything in my power to ensure that students are able to create a positive and long-lasting relationship to music, because I believe that this is more important than reaching any specific level of skill.

This doesn’t mean lessons are a free-for-all. Far from. I do have expectations of my students that require work and practice to be done, even if it’s not always the most fun work and practice. We can only progress if we do the necessary work to progress.

But without curiosity, playing music is often lifeless and mechanical, and students run the risk of associating music with negative memories, thoughts, and feelings. Even if they acquire advanced levels of skill by simply being consistent, these students often lose any and all desire to continue playing music as soon as they are given permission to stop. For this reason, I choose to be a teacher who prioritizes positive reinforcement over reprimand, nurtures individual musical personalities over stoic perfection, and follows the natural direction of interest each of my students take in their music.

Piano lessons are a uniquely individualized endeavor, and all lessons will be tailored specifically to the needs and goals of each student.

With that being said, there are a few things that are indeed integral to my approach with every student. Elements such as rhythm, music theory, sight-reading, ear training, composition + improvisation, injury-free technique, musicality + expressiveness are necessary to every musician’s well-rounded understanding of music. We’ll cover a wide range of skills and knowledge over the course of our lessons, drawing focus to the ones that most align with the student’s personal goals and needs.

For younger students, the emphasis will be on developing a connection to sound and rhythm first, ensuring that the child is able to understand the elements that make up the music that we hear and create. Building a foundation of love and excitement for music and playing the piano will go such a long way towards encouraging a long-term positive relationship to learning music. No piano lesson haters here! How do you know if a young child is ready to begin lessons? Read on!

First: curiosity and commitment! Second: a professional digital/hybrid piano or a recently tuned acoustic piano. Third: a blank full-sized notebook ready and waiting for all of the new skills and information we’re about to tackle :)

Skills are best honed using tools that contribute to and enhance the skill, not take away from it or make it more difficult to execute well. You would struggle to become the best chef you could be without a proper set of knives and cookware. You would struggle to become the best tennis player you could be without a proper racket and tennis court. The same logic applies to piano! Even if you have no desire to perform or turn your passion into a career, a proper set of tools is necessary to truly grow your skills. For this reason, I ask that each student have either an acoustic, hybrid, or full-sized weighted-key digital piano in their home before enrolling in lessons. If you don’t already own something, just reach out, let me know what your needs are, and I’ll be happy to guide you in the right direction. Pianos of any kind range from around $1,000-$10,000+ depending on what you’re looking for.

If you are like many other NYC families and do not have a living space that can accommodate an acoustic piano, a digital piano might be a good option for you. There are several stores in the city that provide rental pianos, an option I highly recommend. (Check out PianoPiano on the UWS for acoustic and hybrid options, or Guitar Center for keyboards.) If you want the most musical experience or desire to hone your skills to advanced levels, an acoustic piano will be needed. Try as digital pianos might, they still leave much to be desired when it comes to truly making the most of piano music. The digital world has its reasons for being preferable at times, but for most pianists, nothing compares to the touch, feel, sound, and mechanics of an acoustic piano. It has a way of naturally inspiring musicality in a way that digital pianos struggle to.