Introduction: "Return to School Starting Package: 4 lessons for the price of 2. With over 40 years of experience, I specialize in piano and voice lessons. I offer a FREE TRIAL and evaluation for new students as well as a special starting package of 4 lessons for the price of 2. These are half hour lessons, one-on-one. Regular price is $24. (So $12 per half hour lesson - for 4 weeks.) Students can participate in several recital programs through the year. Lessons are taught live on a grand piano in a private house in West Dundee and are also available via zoom. I hold a Master Degree from the University of Montreal."
My goal is to bring the passion of music to all students, while providing the highest quality lessons. Students of all ages can develop their talent at their own pace and reach their maximum potential.
I've been told that I was very patient and really good at sharing my knowledge of music. I studied piano at Vincent-d'Indy Music school in Montreal and developed an excellent technique and I hold a Master Degree from the University of Montreal. I started to teach piano when I was 16 years old. So, I have many years of experience. I love sharing my knowledge about music to people and especially with kids.
Besides participating at 3 – 4 students’ recitals per year, students will be invited to compete at the Grandquist competition. Several of my piano and voice students have been winning trophies of first place in their category.
Lessons are scheduled on a half-hour or one-hour basis, weekly or biweekly.
Piano Lessons include: Basic training for beginners with easy and pleasant repertoire, reading development through a gradual process. I like to teach beginners by positions instead of teaching all the notes at once. This makes it smooth to develop muscle memory and it is much easier to absorb. I have a series of books of very pleasant music that are built by positions and have a duet part for the teacher. It sounds really good!
I also teach the chords as soon as possible and make the students recognize them in their songs. It really helps the kids that have a hard time reading and also help memorize the music.
As soon as the students are comfortable reading the first & second positions, I like to introduce fingers technique with several exercises. Fingers have to remain curved when playing the keys and independent from each other. The wrist has to remain flexible. More advanced students will learn scales, arpeggio, and theory. Beginner and advanced students are welcome.
I am very careful of not letting the students read finger numbers instead of the notes and I don’t write the name/letter of the note instead of developing the real reading of space/line on the staff. This might seem like a good solution to help the process but students don’t really read the music. They might be able to play the song but they won’t be able to read the next one!
Piano lessons are taught on a grand piano.
Testimonials
"Thanks go to Solange for not only representing an effort to support opera in our community but also young singers. Currently, she is my piano teacher and demonstrating that if one really gets to know the student one can find the way to reach him or her so that the student can grasp the concept. I studied piano until 9th grade and then quit – I just didn’t feel I had what it takes. Now I know that I didn’t have the right teacher. Teaching is discovering how the student learns, not forcing the student into one’s own mold. So thanks Solange for representing the academic side of my life tonight."
Gwen Gage, Altrusa Woman of the Year 2019
I hope to hear from you.
Solange
