I have so much to say about Kym and Simply Music, I don't know where to start!…read more
First, about Simply Music. Yes, it is not a traditional piano learning program. The student does not start with learning how to read notes/sheet music. First, they get comfortable with the piano and *confident* in their ability to make great sounding music. During this process they learn how to play with one hand and both hands, how to play chords (although it's not described as such), how to *create their own music*, and how to move their hands around the keyboard comfortably. They get comfortable with the instrument itself. They learn to follow simple patterns that are common in music. There is teacher-led instruction and pre-recorded video instruction. As they progress, note reading, music theory, and more traditional aspects of piano learning are incorporated in a very elegant fashion. By the time they get to note reading they are ready and excited. This approach is so critical to their later success and how they *feel* about learning piano.
I learned piano in a much more traditional fashion. In a traditional program, you get a few music books (maybe Practice and Repertoire) and a theory workbook. Note reading is emphasized from the get-go, and turns learning piano into a three-pronged situation: learning how to play the actual instrument, learning how to read music, and learning music theory. This is fine, and how most people learn, but it is not as naturally reinforcing and "fun". It can be challenging for students, and especially those with learning differences. As an educator, a casual musician, and a parent, I strongly believe Simply Music is superior to traditional methods. This is my opinion after about six months of lessons.
Ok, now let's talk about Kym. Kym is, quite simply, a master instructor. She is positive at *every turn*. She is intuitive about what the student needs (more/less challenge, steps broken down, etc). She has a thousand different ways up her sleeve to explain and demonstrate a concept. She has a beautiful-sounding piano and she plays it beautifully! My kids adore her. *In most traditional piano lessons*, you play your assigned songs for your teacher and s/he gives you feedback. The teacher looks at your workbook pages to make sure you did them correctly. You might spend a few minutes trying parts of a new song, then a new assignment is given, and the usually 30-minute lesson is over. *With Kym*, you record the items you've been assigned and send them to her (usually) the day before your lesson. On her own time, she reviews them and makes feedback notes. Then, when your 40-minute lesson begins, she gives positive, helpful feedback about your songs. This takes 5-10 minutes. The entire remainder of the lesson is dedicated to her teaching and your student practicing concepts. You are getting *so much learning* for your dollar! I hate to say it like that, but lessons do cost money and so this may be important to you. Kym uses a fantastic practice app that helps you/your student organize your practices well and keeps track of how long you've been playing each day. The kids find it very motivating. The whole package is just...awesome.
My kids love piano because of Kym and Simply Music. If you've spent time torturing your child with piano lessons...forcing them to practice, enduring eye rolls and whining, all while you promise them that they'll "thank you later"...then you might understand how profound it is to find a program and teacher that nearly eliminates all of that. I highly recommend Kym and the Simply Music piano learning program.
