ELLIE SELIGMANN Private Piano Teacher Phone: (303) 564-3099 musicstudio4032 @ gmail.com ONLINE LESSONS ALSO AVAILABLE!

I began studying piano at the age of 3. Although I resisted practicing throughout my youth, I grew to appreciate the discipline, music skills and the love of music that I acquired through years of practice and study. It is my goal to provide my students with the same valuable benefits. I provide an encouraging atmosphere for both children and adults to learn classical and jazz piano techniques and performing skills. I incorporate music theory into every lesson so that my students are not just players, but well-rounded, confident and knowledgable musicians capable of advancing on their own when they leave the studio.

Rate: $35/half hour

Qualifications:

Master of Music Education, University of Northern Colorado

Bachelor of Science in Music, Indiana University School of Music

20+ years of private piano teaching experience

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Methods:

I teach piano from two different angles, depending on the goals of my students.

Traditional
For students who want to play classical music and be able to read complicated sheet music, I assign music from the Suzuki books. I like these books because they challenge the two hands equally and help students quickly learn to coordinate the two hands. Students are playing Bach, Beethoven and Mozart by Book 2! Students also learn to play scales and chords, which are necessary for the development of reliable technique and provide a theoretical foundation to help students understand the structure of music.

Improv-based
A short-cut to playing contemporary music (i.e. rock, pop, jazz, praise/worship, etc.) is to learn to read chord symbols. In the first month of lessons, students learn how to read and build chords. (It's really much simpler than most people think!) Students learn to play melodies in their right hand while improvising a left-hand accompaniment based on the chord symbol. As students become more experienced, more complicated chords are added and their improvisation develops naturally into a more sophisticated sound. Scales and chords are naturally an integral part of this method of learning to play.

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Studio:

Studio Policies

See the studio - photos

My studio is located in Aurora, Colorado, in the Tallgrass neighborhood, near Hampden & Tower.

My studio is in my home. I have multiple cats - please consider this if you are allergic.

Technology:

Digital audio recording of lessons

Record your own CD

Video feedback

Video instruction supplements

Interactive instructional software

Recitals:

Students perform in two recitals annually. When I was studying piano as a child, my teacher did not schedule recitals. Without that valuable practice performing in front of others, I grew up with a great fear of playing the piano in public. I sang in numerous recitals as a student of voice and became very comfortable singing in public, but this confidence did not transfer to the piano. I therefore believe that recitals are a crucial part of every music student's course of study because it is through this process that we learn not just to play, but to perform. [Recital Photos]

The Instrument:

Piano students should practice regularly on a piano or electric piano, rather than an electronic keyboard. The mechanics of the piano itself affect the feel and development of technique, and electric pianos emulate this feel more effectively than "keyboards". For acoustic (non-electric) pianos, regular tuning is important for the health of the instrument and for accurate training of the ears.

Other instruction:

Voice Lessons

Sightreading

Ear Training

Music Theory

Composition

Coaching and Audition Preparation

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