Piano with Marci S.

Welcome to my piano studio! I am a Lawrence native, and my piano studio is in my home. I have bounced between Lenexa and Lawrence a few times in my adult life, and I moved back to Lawrence 3 years ago, this time to stay. I began classical piano studies at 8 years old, in the private studio of a local concert pianist. I participated in recitals, concerts, camps and master classes, and in the 7th grade I started performing in a variety of venues, as an accompanist for vocalists, instrumentalists, choirs and musicals. I have a B.A. and M.A. from KU, and acquired my Kansas State Teaching License at Washburn University. I am classified as "highly qualified" in the fields of Psychology, Biology and General Science. I taught school in Topeka, then in the Shawnee Mission Public Schools. My graduate degree is in Human Development, and I taught Child Behavior & Development classes at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. I believe I am a unique piano teacher, having studied children and young adults and how they learn. I encourage my students to work towards their goals, but I'm patient and know when a skill is currently beyond the child's grasp due to his or her individual development. Every child learns and develops differently, so each student's lessons are highly individualized. *** Lesson Details *** I have a relaxed teaching style, a sense of humor, and lots of patience! I absolutely love the one-on-one teaching experience I get with teaching private lessons. Students tend to feel welcome and comfortable in my home studio. A beginning student will be surprised to be reading and playing music within just a few weeks! Curricula: For beginning piano curriculum, I like the Piano Adventures series by Faber & Faber. I also use a series called A Dozen A Day, technical exercises for the piano which teaches a little theory along the way, but makes it fun! For older students, I like Czerny and Hanon exercises to strengthen fingers and hands. I focus on reading music, and I work on sight-reading skills with adolescents and young adults. There are all kinds of on-line resources that I consult for ideas. Lessons are a combination of theory, learning the keyboard, and learning to read music. For intermediate piano students, I will determine their level of musical understanding and design an individualized curriculum to address areas of improvement, and to build on each student's strengths. In addition to the mechanics of music, I try to instill an appreciation for all types and genres of music in my students. I strongly believe that the most competent and interesting musicians are the ones who are familiar with music from all walks of life. Lastly, I do most of the choosing of music for students to study. There are lots of things to consider when choosing a piece or a book for a young pianist to study. But I do like to explore, and am open to suggestions from my students. It's easier to practice when you are playing something you really enjoy. Not every song makes a good piano piece, but I will work with you! *** Studio Equipment *** Piano, Guitar, Computer, Music Software *** Specialties *** Keyboard basics, music theory, playing technique, sight-reading music. Working with little ones.