| By my own estimate, 90% of the parents who ask | | | | It is for this reason that I regard my mission less as a |
| me to teach their children have had lessons | | | | teacher of piano pedagogy and more as an means |
| themselves in the past. I have only met a few, out of | | | | for the child to find out how much fun the piano is, |
| thousands, that still play the piano as a hobby and still | | | | even if you don't or can't play it. And I have found that |
| have the bug. Most parents tried, like most children, and | | | | talent will out: if a child has a wild gift, we'll know it very |
| failed, like most children, to learn to play the piano. And | | | | quickly and design the proper curriculum. But most kids |
| yet they want their child to try again. | | | | really need only a happy introduction, and first |
| Why is that? | | | | exploration of their talents. |
| First examine the proportion of parents who tried | | | | First convince the child that however they play the |
| piano, and enjoyed it. It is a very small percentage, | | | | piano, it is THEIRS, and it is something to be proud of |
| equal to that of children's piano lesson statistics: 1 out | | | | and show off to to others. That's why I praise every |
| of 10 succeeds. Yet it is the parents who hated | | | | tiny victory, so they never feel crushed by the weight |
| lessons (the other 9 out of the 10) that want their | | | | of my expectations. I have learned to expect the |
| children to try it! This is either madness, optimism, or | | | | proper effort from each child as an individual. |
| love of the piano at work. | | | | |