Private Lessons
Students have the option of taking weekly private lessons in-person, online, or a combination of both.
In-Person Lessons
Lessons are taught at my home studio located in the Lowertown area of Ottawa. It is located very near to the neighbourhoods of Rockcliffe, Vanier, Sandy Hill, and New Edinburgh.
Students learn on a Yamaha C3 grand piano with a Hidrau model (hydraulic adjustable) piano bench. For shorter students, I have a pedal extender as well as custom-made stackable wooden blocks for foot support to prevent dangling legs.
Parents of young students are welcome to watch their child's lesson or drop them off and pick them up. ​
Online and Asyncronous Lessons
In the event that a student is unable to attend their lesson in-person, I offer the option of an online or asynchronous lesson. An online lesson takes place on Zoom at the same lesson time as their original class. If the student is unavailable at their lesson time, they can send videos or other material before their lesson time and I will provide feedback for them during their lesson time; this is called an asynchronous lesson. I use the following technology to make these lessons as beneficial as possible:
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iMac and iPad
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Yamaha P515 digital piano
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OBS (Open Broadcast Software)
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Chordie App (virtual onscreen keyboard)
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Logitech C920 webcam
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StreamDeck
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Rose M5 Diaphragm Microphones
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Focsurite Scarlett 4i4 Audio interface
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Audio-Technica ATH-M60x headphones
Teaching Hours
Sundays 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Mondays 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Tuesdays 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Wednesdays 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Thursdays 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Email and phone correspondence are monitored one hour outside of teaching hours
What to expect in your lesson
Curriculum:
Most students will have a ‘core’ curriculum of books such as the Royal Conservatory of Music or Conservatory Canada series. In addition those books, students have the option of having one or more supplementary books in a genre of their choice: classical, improvisation, jazz, pop, blues, ragtime, Disney, or Christmas music, etc.
Theory:
For younger students I use my extensive collection of over two hundred games in addition to apps, worksheets, percussion instruments, and a whiteboard to create different and innovative ways to learn theory. The teen and adult students will make use of some of those resources but spend most of their theory time solely working from a book. As a student becomes more advanced, the lesson length will need to be increased to accommodate the additional time needed for theory. (I offer separate theory lessons to those who are not pianists as well.)
Improvisation and Composition:
All piano students have the option to have improvisation and/or composition as part of their lessons. This allows the student to spend time being creative and explore different sounds at the piano.
Additional Aspects for Lessons
Lesson Notes
I am happy to provide lesson notes for any of my students so that they are very clear on what to practice at home. Some students prefer having them typed and emailed so that they can view them on an electronic device while others prefer having them hand written in a notebook.
Feedback
Teen and adult students are quite independent and so we frequently discuss goals and progress. For the young children I do invite their parents to attend the lesson with them so that they develop their music knowledge alongside their child. Several times each school year (or sometimes even more frequently), I will also provide parents with an e-mail with feedback of their child’s progress.
Online Software:
Adult students and parents/guardians of students under 18 have access to the “My Music Staff” online software where they can look at their account, lesson schedule, lesson notes, upcoming events, log practice time, and more.
Beyond the lesson
Performing opportunities for children
Two times each school year students are provided an opportunity to perform for their peers at my studio recitals. The recitals take place at a local church and are approximately 45 – 60 minutes in length with a reception afterwards.
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Additional performing opportunities are available on a monthly basis at the Steinway Gallery Young Artists Performance Club, the Ottawa East Junior Music Club, or the Ottawa West Junior Music Club.
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Performing opportunities for adults
Four times each school year adult students are invited to perform: twice in a recital setting and twice in a masterclass setting. In the recital format elementary and intermediate students can showcase up to three pieces of their repertoire and the advanced students one or two. In the masterclass format each student to performs one piece and receives feedback for 8 - 10 minutes on how it can be improved. All of the performances take place at a the 10,000 Hours Piano Rehearsal Studios and are approximately 75 - 90 minutes in length.
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Additional performing opportunities are available on a monthly basis at the Steinway Gallery Ottawa Music Sharing, the 10,000 Hours Music Sharing, and the Ottawa Adult Music Group.
Exams and Competitions
Many of my students participate in Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) or Conservatory Canada (CC) exams throughout the year. Music exams are available for all ages of students and provide a great goal to work towards.
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All ages of students can participate in the Kiwanis Music Festival and the Quebec International Music Competition. Students under 18 also have the opportunity to compete at the Ottawa Piano Festival and the Canadian Music Competition.
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I teach all levels of the Conservatory Canada classical curriculum from Level 1 through ACCM. Students also get to explore repertoire from the Contemporary Idioms syllabus.
I teaches all levels of theory from both RCM and Conservatory Canada curriculums. I am familiar with university and college level material as well.
I teach improvisation and composition either as a supplementary activity or a main focus. I also teach beginning level jazz and pop.
Recent Student Achievements
Nina, Frederick, Linzhi, and Vita performed in the ORMTA Canadian Music Showcase (2024)
Linzhi received Gold at the Quebec International Music Competition (2024)
Francine achieved 84%, 85% and 88% in three categories at the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival (2024)
Kim achieved 88%, 90% and 91% in three categories at the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival (2024)
Frederick achieved 87% in two categories at the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival (2024)
Zihao achieved Merit Standing at the Ottawa Piano Festival (2024)
Frederick performed in the ORMTA Canadian Music Showcase (2023)
Frederick performed in the ORMTA Junior Piano Masterclass (2023)
Testimonials
"Sarah challenges me in every lesson and pushes me to improve, but at my own pace. Our lessons are very collaborative. We work on techniques to achieve a high degree of dynamic expression, musicality, speed and accuracy of complex piano works. Sarah is continuously striving to become a better pianist herself and always passes on any knowledge and techniques that might help. Sarah works with the time you can put in and creates a program that suits your goals and your learning style." - Curt
“You’re a great teacher and have always been so patient and understanding with me. I always feel inspired to pursue music after lessons and appreciate the great attitude you always carry. Thanks so much. I hope we continue to build this great relationship of student and teacher” - Daniel
“Over the past years I appreciated and enjoyed so much the time we spent working together. I will really miss you!! I would like to thank you very much for all the time and effort you have spent to get me to this level.” - Dalia
"I wanted to say that I really enjoyed our lessons, and you are a fantastic teacher. Your mindset, openness, and methods will always stick with me. I hope to carry that forward with my playing” - Mark