Shirley Kirsten

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Introduction: I have a particular passion for the piano that encompasses working with students of diverse levels to reach their full potential and to enjoy an enriched musical journey. My students are from age 16 to those in their 60's and 70's. My emphasis is the Classical music repertoire and I especially enjoy teaching Online by Face Time and Skype. While teaching for decades as an in studio teacher, I added virtual learning in 2010, when an inquiry from Australia opened a new horizon of mentoring. To this end, my studio is equipped with state of the art technology (various Logitech webcam keyboard views), a capacity to record and provide supplementary videos for practicing assistance between lessons. Many of these samples can be found on my You Tube channel and are often embedded in my Word Press blog, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California. Over 2,500 You Tube videos are posted with my lessons-in-progress, tutorials, and performances of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era music. (As of the latest count, I have 10,700 You Tube subscribers to my Channel) As mentioned, my students particularly enjoy getting videos as supplements to their lessons free of charge, and it helps guide their practicing during the week. While sharing my love for the piano with students around the U.S. and here in the Bay area (CA). I also enjoy working with students in Scotland, Australia, England, and Portugal. With regard to references, I have far more than are posted at Thumbtack and these are available upon request.

Overview

Hired 2 times

1 employee

46 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via PayPal.

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Facebook, Twitter

Featured Projects

8 photos

Specialties

Musical style

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for punctuality, professionalism, and work quality.

Exceptional 5.0

7 reviews

100%

Read reviews that mention:

Irma H.

Dec 21, 2013

I have been studying piano with Shirley Kirsten for the past four years. She is a classically trained pianist with excellent credentials and beaucoup performance credits under her belt. What is most impressive about Shirley is her dedication to the individual student and her tailoring of the class to the students level of learning and interest. As an adult student with a very busy professional and personal life, my practice time is somewhat limited. She understands and supports my slow learning in a variety of ways. The most impressive way is by recording parts of the lesson and sending me videos with her playing to demonstrate technical points and my playing, so I may see how I can improve. She is walking encyclopedia of music theory and imparts that knowledge in the context of what I am learning. The time we spend together is both intellectually stimulating and fun. I really appreciate how she breaks down the pieces into the simplest components. While almost all my lessons have been in person I have also taken a number of make-up lessons via skype/facetime and have found those to be equally excellent. She also has great videos on her website that cover many aspects of theory, technique, and some are simply of her beautiful rendition of pieces by different composers. Her boundless energy, love of music, and interest in the students development are an unbeatable combination. As mentioned previously Shirley teaches both live and internet based classes where YES, she has seen every key I've played with the wrong finger. I am fortunate to have a fine piano teacher who inspires me both with her playing and her teaching.

Sherry H.

Dec 23, 2013

I grew up in a home where I was blessed to have a mother entertain the family with the piano. She played by ear beautifully but she felt frustrated that she never had the chance to study classically. I only wish we had the internet available during her lifetime. For the last year and a half I have been studying with Shirley Kirsten via FaceTime or Skype as a beginner. I can't believe how many pieces she has taught me along with learning music theory. She makes it so easy. There are so many advantages doing it this way, it's hard to list them all, but just being able to stay home tops my list. She also video tapes the lesson and sends it to you in case you should forget the finer points of her instructions. She is amazingly patient because she expects perfection. I would have not found someone of her caliber in my town. If there is the faintest desire to become a pianist don't hesitate on giving her a try, it will soon turn into a lifelong passion.

Laura M.

Nov 1, 2014

I am an adult piano player and began working with Shirley last March. She has inspired me to work harder and the results are amazing. I am currently working on Chopin's Waltz in A minor and I love playing this piece. It improves with every lesson we have. A big advantage of working with Shirley is that she video records the lessons, edits the lesson to focus on a key element we are working on and sends it to me. Whenever I try to remember how to play a certain passage, I have only to look at the video. It is like having a lesson everyday of the week. Shirley is a passionate and dedicated musician and she communicates that in our lessons.

Samprabhu R.

Dec 6, 2014

Shirley is a Piano teacher of the highest pedigree. Her understanding of what to teach and how to teach has made a huge impact on my learning curve. I am an adult beginner with very little musical background, she has been patient and kind in teaching me. I took lessons with her in-person in Berkeley and have since been taking Skype lessons for over a year. To be honest, I do not feel like I am missing anything in the Skype lessons. She uses the technology available to her to the maximum - multiple cameras to help bolster understanding, video supplements to aid in the learning, and supplemental practice material to improve on the technique. I will heartily recommend to her to anyone seeking a Piano tutor - inperson or on Skype. Thanks Shirley for all your work!

Maura L.

Nov 16, 2017

Hired on Thumbtack

She has been amazing with my daughter. We are so pleased about the quality of her lessons. I would highly recommend.

Details: 14 - 17 years old • Yes, the student can read music • 4+ yrs of formal training • Classical • Yes, the student has a piano • Once a week • 60 minutes • Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday • Evening (after 6pm) • As soon as possible • Phone or internet (no in-person meeting)

Piano Lessons

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I charge $60 per lesson which is an hour long. For ONLINE students I add an extra 15 minutes at no charge. Students will receive supplementary teaching videos, if interested at no extra fee. You can see many of my teaching video samples at my You Tube Channel.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I confer with students about their musical goals; time allotted for practicing, and what is feasible for their particular learning environment.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I'm a graduate of the NYC HS of Performing Arts (known as the FAME school from the movie and TV sitcom), Oberlin Conservatory (Bach. of Music-Performance-Piano/Pedagogy); Master of Arts, New York University.

Shirley Kirsten

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