Learning to play the piano musically requires much more than just learning to play the right notes. It requires careful and proper development of hands, ears, mind and heart. At Hoffman Academy, our teachers challenge and encourage each student to achieve excellence in their playing, while also seeking to instill a life-long love and appreciation for music.
"Joseph Hoffman has had an amazing ability to positively motivate my children in their study of piano."
-Robin Mourik, mother of 3 students
Partner Piano Lessons (Ages 5+)
Piano Beginnings (Ages 5-10)
Group Piano Instruction
Choose one:
Piano Beginnings
- Ages: 5-6 or 7-9 (accelerated)
- Duration: 18 sessions per semester
- Class size: 3-5 students
- Parent Time: One parent joins class for the last 15 minutes
- Class times offered:
- Piano Beginnings Overview: Piano Beginnings is the ideal setting for a young child to begin learning to play the piano with confidence and joy. In Piano Beginnings, children grow to love music and piano playing through a fun, research-based curriculum that explores singing, rhythm, pitch, staff notation, and piano playing. First, children experience key musical concepts through singing, dancing, listening, and drumming. Then, it becomes easy and natural to learn to play songs on the piano, because children are using musical elements they have already become familiar with. Music, as a language of sound, must be understood first in the ear and in the body, then in the eye and fingers. This kind of teaching approach empowers children to discover the language of music as naturally and effectively as they learn to speak their mother tongue. Upon completion of Piano Beginnings Levels I and II, children will be prepared for private or partner piano lessons.
Private Piano Lessons (Ages 7 to adult)
Partner Piano Lessons
- Ages: 5+
- Duration: 18 sessions per semester
- Class size: 2 students
- Parent attendance: One parent is required to attend the lesson
- 45-minute or 60-minute lessons are available
Partner Lessons: Overview
In Partner Lessons, your child will be paired with another student of similar age and ability. This kind of peer environment creates a fun, relaxed atmosphere for learning and helps children discover the joy of making music with other people.
Our philosophy is that the enjoyment of real music making experiences must be present from the very first lesson. For this reason, at Hoffman Academy, we use an innovative curriculum that quickly builds an impressive repertoire of piano songs that children love to play, while simulatenously developing rhythmic and aural competency. Students are encouraged to improvise and compose from the beginning, engaging the amazing creative power every child possesses. By two months, most kids are already playing songs hands together with confidence! Then, students are guided to discover the visual elements of music notation and gradually grow in confidence in reading music for themselves from music books.
In the first year of Partner Lessons, students will learn:
- Proper, healthy technique and posture for piano playing
- An extensive repertoire of piano songs, performed from memory
- Reading and performing rhythms
- Reading notes on the staff
- Other basics of music theory and music notation
- Solfa singing (do, re, mi, etc.)
- Ear training
- Improvisation and composing
For more detailed information about partner lessons, please download:
Private Piano Lessons
- Ages: 7 to adult
- Duration: 18 sessions per semester
- Parent attendance: One parent is required to attend the lesson for children under 12
- 45-minute lessons and 60-minute lessons available
Private Lessons: Overview
Private lessons are the ideal choice for the student who is ready and eager to advance his or her skills on the piano at a more focused and rapid pace. Private lessons also afford your teacher the flexibility to customize lessons to the needs, learning style and specific interests of each student. Each student will have the opportunity to perform numerous times throughout the year, at our semesterly Academy recitals and at our Group Musicianship classes every 6 weeks.
Private lessons will focus on:
- Developing a proper, healthy technique while building strength, speed, and agility in the fingers
- Building a repertoire of piano literature
- Learning to interpret and express music of diverse styles and genres
- Gaining confidence in performing from memory
- Building sightreading abilities
- Learning to play in an ensemble
- Growing in an understanding of more advanced music theory concepts, such as harmony, transposition, and composition/improvisation
“I am really pleased with the progress Aaron and Lauren have made in just one year. Aaron in particular LOVES to play the piano. It seems any time he walks past the piano he has to sit down and play something. I love it.”
-Kim Rasband, parent of 2 students in Piano Beginnings
For more detailed information about private lessons, please download:
- Wed 5:45-6:45 pm (ages 7-10)
- Thurs 5-6 pm (ages 5-6)
- Sat 9-10am (ages 5-6)
- Sat 10:15-11:15 (ages 5-6)
