Lessons that you will love in the comfort of your own home!
I still have a couple slots open for Fall 2023! Please reach out for availability.
The Power of Music
Enriching Lives Everywhere
Discover the joy and fulfillment that comes with being able to create music
Build cognitive development by enhancing memory skills, building coordination between both hands and often feet, and improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
Express yourself in a unique and artistic way
Learn music theory which leads to a better understanding of how music works
Instill discipline and time management as you work toward improvement over time
Participate in recitals which improve your ability to communicate through music!
Build and cultivate a passion for music that will last a lifetime
Deciding whether or not to enroll in weekly piano lessons is not an easy decision. Please take a look around the website to help answer any questions you may have, and also feel free to contact me.
About Me
It all started with piano lessons...
From a very young age, music always spoke to me. I feel so grateful that my grandma immediately noticed this when I was 5 years old and insisted on me taking piano lessons! Who would have thought that this would have led to me spending decades training musically? It also led me to discover how much I loved to sing. Once I entered high school, I joined every choir, sang in the musicals, performed in the talent shows and competed throughout the greater Northwest Region.
When I went off to college (Western Washington University), I promised myself I wasn't going to choose music as my major because it "wasn't practical." It was in my freshman year that I saw my first opera, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and immediately fell in love! Not too long after that I officially decided to major in Vocal Performance. I continued piano lessons as well, but most of my time was spent learning and practicing voice. I sang several operatic roles, lived in France for a summer singing and training, performed many recitals, and performed several concerts throughout Croatia and Venice.
Toward the end of my undergrad, I decided I was not ready to stop my music training and applied to graduate school. I attended University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received my Masters in Music.
Since graduating from UNL, I am teaching piano & voice lessons, and perform a lot in musical theater and operetta.
You never know what will come out of music lessons. You never know what it could add to your child's life. It could be as little as it makes them appreciate music more or as big as leading them down a specific career path. Either way I can assure you music lessons will bring an abundance of joy and enrichment to your child's life.
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe the more well rounded the music lessons are, the more empowered you will be to achieve your musical goals, whatever they may be. Lessons include ear training, music theory, and technique in addition to learning all of the fundamentals of reading music. It's important to empower my students with the tools and skills necessary so that one day they will be able to sight read, choose their own pieces, and learn it on their own.
Your specific goals are heavily considered each lesson because there is no single path toward learning the piano.
Studio Information
The answers you need
Although I do my very best to keep lessons fun and simple, learning a new instrument is not an easy task! One of the most rewarding parts of teaching music is witnessing my students overcoming obstacles and becoming more confident in their ability to persevere when something gets hard. This is a huge part of learning a new instrument.
Piano lessons are offered weekly to students of all ages and levels. Under my instruction, students are taught to be independent learners and become self motivators when it comes to practicing. Through my practice boxes and sticker reward system, I have found my students to be incredibly disciplined when it comes to practicing.
Recitals provide wonderful opportunities for my students to perform in front of their families and peers! I offer recitals twice a year and my students really look forward to them. Recitals are a great way to celebrate the progress made and practice performing in front of an audience.
FAQ
The Answers You Need
Do you travel to homes to teach or do you teach out of your home?
I travel to my student's homes for lessons, mostly in the Fairmount/Spring Garden neighborhood in Philadelphia. I also offer virtual lessons to out of town students.
Do I need a piano and is an electric piano ok?
Yes and yes as long as the keyboard has 88 weighted keys.
How young will you teach and which levels?
For piano, I teach as young as 5 years old, beginning through advanced. For voice, I will teach as young as 9 years old beginning through advanced. Any children under 9 who are interested in singing, I encourage them to begin with piano!
Do you teach adult students as well?
Absolutely!
How often should I or my children be practicing?
One of the most common questions! The truth is it depends. I have found that consistency and quality (not quantity) is most important! I do not give an exact amount of minutes to practice. I instead gently encourage students to practice as often as possible and come to lessons prepared. I have found that this helps students stay motivated to practice on their own and not feel that practicing is a chore. If a student consistently shows up to lessons unprepared, only then will I ask them to practice for a certain number of minutes. Every student is different but one thing remains the same, the more you practice, the quicker you improve.
What materials will I need?
Each student needs a lesson and theory book available to purchase online. I will make sure to send the link before the first lesson.
What type of performance opportunities does your studio offer?
There are two studio recitals offered for the students to participate, one in December and one in April.
What style of music is taught?
We begin with the basics but eventually all styles will be covered; classical, jazz, blues and pop.
Online Lessons
I am offering online lessons using video chat services such as FaceTime, Zoom, Google, and Skype. Online lessons have been just as effective and efficient as in person! In fact, check out this article by the NY Times about online music lessons.
What equipment do I need for online lessons?
Just a device where I can see the student via video as well as a reliable internet connection. My students use phones, tablets, and computers and it all works very well! I ask that the student keep a pencil nearby for circling trouble spots in the music as well as writing helpful tips in the score.
Are online lessons as effective as in person?
Although this may not be the most ideal choice for very young students (at least without parental help and support), it is definitely suitable for most beginners. I have been very impressed with how quickly my students have adjusted to this new format and I'm very pleased with the efficiency and productivity!
How do I get started?
Fill out an inquiry here and I will get back to you within a few hours to schedule a free introductory lesson.
Testimonials
from parents
When our previous piano teacher moved away we tried a few teachers and chose Kristen. We think she is fantastic with our kids. She compliments before jumping to how to improve and engages with the kids at the right level. She breaks down a problem into parts my kids can understand and accomplish. My kids also learn music theory and have gained a better understanding of what they play. Both my kids have improved tremendously and think Kristen is a great teacher.
Theresa R.
Kristen taught piano to my two boys (ages 10 and 8) and created a perfect balance of teaching them technique along with encouraging them to build out their own passion for music. When virtual lessons became a necessity in 2020, she was able to quickly pivot and provide excellent virtual lessons to keep them engaged in music. As a supplement to lesson books, my boys picked out their own pieces to play during quarantine - a fun Jazz piece and Star Wars theme song which was a huge highlight during our 2020 quarantined months.
Kathleen A.
My children's experience with Kristen as their piano instructor has been wonderful! She is very knowledgeable and patient. She challenges my children, but with kindness and respect. My children look forward to their lessons, and to spending time with her. Thank you Kristen!
Rebecca B.
We started using Kristen as a voice tutor for my 12 year old during quarantine. Despite being virtual, the lessons are engaging, personal and fun. My daughter loves working with Kristen and there are noticeable improvements after each 30 minute lesson. I also like that she recommends songs for her that compliment her voice and range. She helps her sing with guitar and ukulele, as well as annotate her own music. I would highly recommend Kristen; she has made lessons during this time something my daughter looks forward to each week.
Lesley M
Listen to Kristen's Students!
