We've had a channel for a while. It got great use in 2020 when we made a quarantine-proof recital movie! Families may request access to videos featuring their students. Public videos include a few performances by myself, as well as those given permission to share.
For instance, check out Jack Adams' Senior Recital!
https://www.youtube.com/@whitfieldsmithpiano
Always consider the individual student. There is no one “best” time to start, whether considering one student, or the human population as a whole!
General categories
Let’s start with age ranges by James Bastien (How to Teach Piano Successfully, 1995)
Young Beginners (under 7 years of age)
I usually consider:
“Booty on Bench Time” (aka attention span development)
Please don’t force a kid not ready to sit on bench for 30 minutes. It will become miserable for us all!
Are they drawn to the instrument?
I think my parents started me 1st grade because I was tall enough to bang on (“artfully explore”) the keys for hours…
Hand development
Assessed during interview. Can’t rush this. Hand span, joint “gumminess”, individual finger control
Independent Reading (non-music language like English)
ABCDEFG, 12345, simple instructions, easy lyrics
At-home practice support
Parent, grandparent, sibling, guardian - who can spend time reading the method book pages and guiding practice. It helps to have played piano and/or read music, but not totally necessary.
Shorter lesson lengths (30 minutes max to start)
Special method books
Music for Little Mozarts (Alfred)
My First Piano Adventures (Faber)
Other methods beginner levels, marked “younger beginner” (Bastien, Alfred, etc) or broken down into “all-in-one” more incremental levels (Hal Leonard, Bastien, etc)
If teacher and parent decide “too soon” (the most common result!) be sure to keep developing musical skills. And remember, we do NOT want to force anything too soon.
Dance with your kid
Sing to and with your kid
Listen to everything with your kid
Clap along to music
“baby talk” develops a wide range of pitches and sounds in the ear
Try some percussion instruments (classic= wooden spoon on plastic box)
Keep audio levels in check. Hearing damage is cumulative and permanent.
Look for early childhood music classes such as Kindermusik and Musicgarten
Average Age Beginners (7-10)
Most kids ready during this time
Most method books designed for this
Older Beginners (10 up)
Drawback - puberty makes development a bit less “elastic”
Advantage - the kid usually WANTS to learn piano
Special method books
Accelerated Piano Adventures (Faber)
Complete Book 1, Basic Piano Library (Alfred)
College Beginners
Music majors/minors who need to pass piano proficiency
Often vocalists who want to accompany themselves or others
Helps understand theory, literature, and more
Can be class or individual instruction
Adult Beginners (or those who used to take a while back)
Variety of reasons
Retirement hobby
“Recreational Music” (the goal is fun, less so advancement)
“I wish I never quit”
“I used to know how”
“My kids all learned, now it’s my turn!” (empty nest goal)
“I miss it”
“I miss my teacher”
Finishing That Piece
“Maybe I’ll understand theory this time”
Rewards
Stave off dementia
Increase brain elasticity
Bring out your inner child and creative spirit
Treat arthritis
Seated work on balance, breathing, spatial awareness
Advantages from Age
Easier understanding of music theory (an advanced math)
You know your strengths and weaknesses
Motivation is yours, not your parents
Challenges
Scheduling (job, responsibilities)
Less elastic body and mind (at first)
Special method books (plenty)
Faber, Adult Piano Adventures
Alfred, Basic Adult Piano Course
Bastien, Piano for Adults
Hal Leonard, Adult Piano Method
Specific Topics:
How to Use a Fake Book
Play the Blues!
45-MINUTE: $160/mo (10 installments Aug-May), $785/sem*, $1570/yr*
1-HR : $210/mo (10 installments Aug-May), $1035/sem*, $2070/yr*
First, let us consider the goals of formal piano study (aka "piano lessons").
GOALS OF PIANO LESSONS
Healthy, balanced development as a human. No matter the age of the student.
Love of Music
Life Skills
Time management
Curiosity
Hand eye coordination and other neurological development/refinement
Expression
Communication
Emotional regulation
How to fail. Grit.
How to succeed. Grace.
Knowing that to struggle is to learn
Finding your passion, even if it’s not piano
Knowing at least one adult who loves spending time with you, who isn’t your relative
Self Reflection and Evaluation
Piano Skills
At least one favorite piece you can play the rest of your life anytime you see a piano
Even better, enough basic skills to fast track your way into band, choir, theatre, other instruments or higher levels of piano study.
Best! A set of piano skills including technique, theory, and reading to equip you for playing whatever you want from now on. Every student (and/or their parent) dreams of this result, but in reality it takes a LOT of time, and we can’t be experts in everything without flunking out of school or losing our job!
Friendship
Hugging me whenever we happen to meet. Texting me about a concert you enjoyed. Telling me about the Thing you found your passion for.
NOT GOALS. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
Shame everytime you see a piano the rest of your life
Fear of asking to return to lessons later
Guilt, so much guilt that you start convincing your friends and siblings that piano is worst thing ever
Humiliation
Blame
Hiding from me at the supermarket
I LOVE MY JOB, AND I LOVE MY STUDENTS
I don’t just love talking to students- I love talking to their parents. Best is when we can sit down for a chat in my studio, ideally in the summer.
I’m a great resource for families trying to figure out what to drop, even when the result is dropping piano
Often in a conference we can discover why a student wants to quit or avoids practice. Sometimes it is fixable without quitting. Just as often, a student wants to quit but is embarrassed to tell me or worries they will disappoint me or their parents.
The middle grades are developmentally a hot spot for these conversations
High schoolers often know their favorite activities, they just need help with time management.
Younger kids might have tantrums, we can figure that out too!
Growing up is hard. Parenting is hard. Let me help!
Whitfield-Smith Piano Studio Summer Session 2025 & Pre-Registration 2025-2026
Dear Parents & Students:
Thank you so much for giving me the privilege of working with your child this year in piano lessons! I am so proud of each one of my students and am so grateful for the support of every parent, grandparent, and other family members.
ONLINE LESSONS AND IN-PERSON
I plan to continue offering both in-person and online lessons. Online has proven to be a great option, with students using it some or all of the time as needed or preferred.
SUMMER SESSION
The Summer Session runs from mid-May until mid-August, when the Fall Session begins (school districts are still shifting calendars- let’s plan to stay flexible!).
Students are required to take a minimum of 4 summer lessons. These are important to ensure continuity of progress from one school year to the next. In most cases, these have been included in tuition payments (monthly installment plan finishes with May payment). If a student started mid-year, or pays per lesson, then additional payments may be necessary in June.
Summer is also a great time to make up any excessive absences from the school year (4 sick/snow/skip days allowed, or 2 /semester). These are also made by appointment. Any lessons (summer or makeup) not taken by mid-August are “Expired,” as we reset for the new school year.
Students are also strongly encouraged to take more lessons. Extra lessons can occur at a regular weekly time or by appointment, and are pro-rated by number of lessons. My students who opt for more summer lessons are always thrilled with how much they can get done before school starts back.
SUMMER MUSIC CAMPS
There are a number of fabulous summer music camps in our local area (see especially Millsaps, Ole Miss, USM, New Stage), as well as state-, region-, and nation-wide. Details are found at the institutions’ websites, or see me. Scholarships towards summer music study can be won through Bach and Federated Festivals.
PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT CONFERENCE
During the summer, I want to have a meeting with each student and their patron(s), to touch base on goals, opportunities, progress, questions, etc. Book yours now!
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Whitfield-Smith Piano Studio Summer Session 2025 & Pre-Registration 2025-2026
I hope that your child will continue studying piano with me next year. One of the greatest thrills of teaching (and, I hope, parenting) is watching a child develop from year to year.
Yearly tuition for 2025-2026 will increase to $1600 (45min) / $2100 (hr). I increase for inflation every other year (though I did not last year, so this is a bit bigger increase). This can be paid in 10 installments of $160 / $210, but discounts are available for pre-payment of the term or year. Please contact me if you would like to apply for Scholarship Assistance (funds are available for those who need it). As always, but especially these days, feel free to talk to me about different payment options, or delaying payment without late fees, etc - I know that inflation and the economy can be rough.
To reserve a place in the studio next year, please fill out and submit the following Reservation Form and Registration Fee of $120 made out to Carolina Whitfield-Smith. The Registration Fee covers items such as sheet music and workbooks.
Space in the studio schedule is offered first to my returning students. Please respond by JUNE 1 so that I can secure your student’s place. After this, I start letting new students from the waitlist enroll. Exact scheduling will be arranged in early August.
You may return them to me at the next lesson, at parent conference, by email or
Thank you!
Carolina Whitfield-Smith
* Please use this blog's "Contact Us" form to request phone, address, email *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESERVATION FORM
Please reserve a place in the Whitfield-Smith Piano Studio for the student(s)
____________________________________________________________________________ for the 2025-2026 Session. I am enclosing a payment (check, cash, money order, PayPal, or Venmo) for a $120 Annual Registration Fee (per student). I understand that this secures a contract for 35 lessons from this August to the next. Please list any changes to contact or school information:
________________________ (parent/guardian)
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