teaching piano lessons

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

When I was in middle school, I took piano lessons from Mrs. Black.  She was an amazing teacher who had a major impact on my life.

Each week I had a private lesson and a group lesson where I learned theory, ear training, and improvisation. She taught in her home and had two baby ground pianos in her studio.  I can still remember her coming down the stairs in her house shoes and playing a second piano part to my Clementi Sonatinas.

I performed in recitals, festivals, and for the National Guild of Piano Teachers.  I loved every minute of it and decided at that point I wanted to be just like Mrs. Black when I grew up.

I did indeed pursue a degree in music education where all the group lessons helped tremendously in my freshmen theory classes.  I began teaching piano in the home of one of the professors who guided me as I began my teaching career.

Fast forward more than 30 years and I am still teaching private piano as well as classroom music.  And I still love doing both.  While I do not have a baby grand piano, much less two, in my living room, I try to impart the same love of music that Mrs. Black passed on to me.

I looked down this week and noticed my feet:

I have achieved my life goal of becoming just like Mrs. Black – right down to teaching in my house shoes.