Are you looking for piano lessons in York? My name is Angelina and I teach the piano from my home in Foxwood, York. Read on to find out more about booking in for your piano lessons in York.
In this article I’m going to talk about:
- Who piano lessons are for.
- Why you should book in with me.
- What piano lessons involve.
- Do you need a piano at home?
- Why it’s better to book direct, rather than go through an agency.
Who piano lessons are for
Piano lessons are for anyone who is interested and wants to play the piano! My students are a mix of adults and children. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never read music before or even touched an instrument before, we’ll go through everything you need to know.
Some of my adult beginners perhaps played piano or another instrument when they were at school, and are just coming back to it now that they have time to devote to a new hobby.
Piano lessons are a great choice for children. Not only do music lessons encourage creativity and musicality, music lessons also improve a child’s concentration and ability to focus. Piano lessons can also improve a child’s self-confidence and self-discipline, as a certain amount of discipline is needed to cultivate a regular practice habit.
Students who learn an instrument tend to get higher grades in school, and having an extra-curricular activity will be a welcome break from school work too. It’s a win-win.
Why you should book in with me
My name is Angelina and I teach piano lessons in York. I have been playing the piano for as long as I can remember. My father, John Warburton, taught me the piano from around the age of four. Along with the harp, I studied the piano at Chetham’s School of Music with Jonathan Middleton, where I achieved my Grade 8 Distinction. Every year I would compete at Blackpool Music Festival, and won several trophies along the way, both as a soloist and for playing duets with my dad.
Since then, I have played and taught the piano, and have recently started to play the organ at a local parish church. Although I primarily earn my gigging money with the harp, I have a passion for teaching the piano – especially beginners. Learning to read music and play the piano is such a rewarding thing to do. I can’t recommend it enough.
What Piano Lessons involve
Piano lessons with me are usually 45 minutes long. Every lesson is different of course and will take into account your personal goals with the piano.
A standard beginner piano lesson will usually involve some theory learning, which takes place at the piano, some scales to warm up and then the pieces that you are currently working on. I use a notebook to keep track of your progress and to set little goals from lesson to lesson, so you always know exactly what you’re aiming to achieve for your next lesson.
Do you need a piano at home?
You will need an instrument to practice on, yes. However, electric pianos are an affordable option and don’t take up too much space. Lots of people are actually trying to get rid of their pianos, so you may be able to get an older piano for free, or for a very small amount of money, and then you’d pay a piano mover to bring it to your house.
Use my contact form to get in touch if you’ve seen a piano online that you’d like an opinion on. If you’re buying an older piano, you may need to spend some money having it tuned, there will be costs involved, but it is lovely having a real piano in your house (I’m still of the opinion that every home needs a piano).
What a lot of students do is start out with an electric piano, and invest in a real piano once they know that they love their lessons and want to carry on long-term.
Why it’s better to book direct, instead of using an agency
The internet is full of agencies these days, which, in my opinion, makes life harder for self-employed musicians. These sites can take up to 25-30% of the fee for each lesson, meaning less of your money goes towards the hard-working musician, and a substantial proportion is just going towards some agency who did nothing more than provide you with your teacher’s name.
Whether you choose me as your teacher or not, my advice would be to book directly with the teacher of your choice, ideally via email so everything’s in writing.
So that’s about it for now – if you have any questions or wish to chat further about your piano lessons in York, use the contact form and get in touch.
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