Text Box: FAQ What will I learn? All students receive music reading, theory and history appropriate to their skill level. I use a variety of proven methods for building flexibility, strength, speed, and agility in the hands, wrists and fingers along with the information needed to make sensitive choices in interpretation and musicianship. I also help the student develop skills for minimizing performance anxiety and maximizing their overall performance success. What is your teaching style? First and foremost: MUSIC IS SERIOUS, BUT FUN! I use a combination of techniques that have been developed by leading keyboard instructors. My primary emphasis is on learning how to perform sensitively and accurately with a minimum amount of frustration. I take a holistic approach that deals with each student’s particular needs and involves low-impact yoga and other mind-body methods to minimize performance anxiety and enhance the overall musical experience. Do you teach music other than classical? I do indeed, but one should remember that the fundamental skills for the first year or more are essentially the same whether you wish to play classical, jazz or punk. Although much can be learned “by ear,” learning how to read traditional piano manuscripts will allow the learning and performance of new, and therefore unrecorded pieces. Also, by learning to read, the pianist is free to make their own interpretations rather than copying someone else. Furthermore, the skills developed for playing classical music beyond the intermediate level have been proven to increase the performer’s skill in other styles. The best of superstar pop keyboardists -- and especially songwriters -- have had formal training in classical music. Do I need a piano, or can I use a keyboard? A “console” or “upright” piano is best for most students through the first three years or so. If you are going to buy an electronic keyboard, it is essential that it has “WEIGHTED, or HAMMER-ACTION KEYS.” There are hundreds of electronic keyboards in today’s market, many of which claim to have“touch-sensitive” keys. “TOUCH-SENSITIVE” IS NOT THE SAME AS “WEIGHTED,” OR “HAMMER ACTION.” Touch sensitive keys simply means the instrument will sound louder if you strike the keys harder -- they don’t have the same weight as a piano key and therefore the student will not develop the proper musculature to play a true piano. What is music theory and why do I need to learn it? Simply put, music theory teaches the “why” behind the way a composer wrote a piece. Understanding music theory helps you learn new songs more quickly because it helps you anticipate how the piece will develop. It also helps you evolve your own interpretations of the music allowing you to make your performances more meaningful to you and your audience. How long are your lessons? Piano, flute and beginning voice lessons are 45-minutes long, once a week and require a one-time deposit for books and materials. Intermediate-advanced voice lessons and all composition lessons are 60-minutes long once a week. Text Box: Andrew J. Glick Music Studio ♪ 25437 Beresford Drive ♪ South Riding, VA 20152 map 703-327-5517 email