I have been teaching group piano classes since 2009 and have had the privilege of working with students in all walks of life. One student in particular stands out in my mind. He started as a hobbyist in my group piano classes at the University of Oklahoma, transferring to my private studio upon graduation. He is now a fantastic singer/songwriter working on his second full-length album. Here's what he has to say about his experience in my studio:
"Hello fellow pianists and musicians! My name is Steven Thorn, and I am a longtime student of Nicole Stackhouse. I first took lessons from her in my senior year at the University of Oklahoma in 2013. After graduating with my masters, two years later, I became a member of her piano studio, possibly the oldest member at the time, from 2015-2017.
I was always self-conscious about calling myself a musician, because I didn't major in music, and I knew so many students in high school, who were always The Music Kids. But I really wanted to express myself through the piano, and in Nicole's studio I received the guidance, practice, and technique, to discover my potential.
I have performed publicaly many times, at open mics and at my own shows. I have recorded four music singles and one music album. I am not well-known by any means, but music has been hugely fulfilling for me, personally and socially.
Whatever your goals are, music in general, and piano in particular, has the opportunity to provide you with a lifetime of fulfilling musical experience, in the privacy of your own home, and in public spaces, if you so choose.
I have had the privilege of playing for the elderly, when they had not heard music in many years.
I have had the privilege of playing at a friend's wedding: an amusing story that began with me learning to operate a pump organ for the first time an hour before the wedding started. I used my basic block chord piano experience to play Be Thou My Vision, a song which I had practiced on the guitar, and I was supposed to play on the guitar, but was unable to because the person who owned that instrument failed to show up. The first the bride knew of the situation was when she started walking down the aisle to the organ notes of Be Thou My Vision. The performance was a complete success, and both bride and mother still talk abou that to this day.
Nicole's piano instruction is what gave me the confidence to perform on that day, because I had so thoroughly been drilled on chord shapes, inversions, and voicing.
Give yourselves permission to call yourselves pianists and musicians, even at the earliest level of sitting at the piano bench and committing to play. Come to the piano with the intention to learn and improve a little bit each day. Approach a piece of sheet music and learn the next note, the next measure.
All the best to you, one note at a time!
Play the music that will inspire you to continue playing, and the learn the music that will give you the skills to play those favorite pieces."
I hope that Steven's experience encourages you to take the plunge and sign up for our upcoming online group piano classes! Steven started out in group classes and has blossomed into a fantastic musician.
Start your own musical journey now! Enrollment for Online Group Piano Classes closes on Friday, August 9 - don't miss out!
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