"Since God
is the highest perfection,
the harmony composed
for his praise
should follow
the strictest rules
that perfection can claim,
as far as human imperfection
can realize them."
-- Johann Josef Fux, 1725

"Many parents choose the wrong piano teacher for their child.
I know, because I have to fix the problems.

Attention Parents:
Read this message before you make a mistake and choose the wrong piano teacher . . .

Hello, my name is Ian Hodge, and I'm the former Principal and Head of the Piano Department at the Stoliarsky School of Music in Australia. I'm now giving piano lessons in Lansing and East Lansing (MI) area.

Every year we would get students who came to us because of our reputation. Unfortunately, they come too late, after spending one, two or more years with the wrong teacher. I define a wrong teacher as a bad teacher.

It's sad, but it happens. Parents select a bad teacher for their child. Not deliberately, of course, but because they don't have the knowledge that allows them to identify an inadequate teacher.

How do you identify a bad teacher? That's not so difficult. Here are some of the signs. Each of of these is evidence of poor or inadequate teaching. When combined, they can spell disaster for any child who wants to have a little fun playing the piano.

1. Poor Posture

If a student has poor posture he or she will have restricted movement around the keyboard. But this may not show itself as a hindrance for many years. You see elementary music is simply . . . well, elementary music. It's not that hard to play. That's why we use it to teach young beginners. And if a student has poor posture, she will still be able to play the elementary music. But when higher levels are attempted, all of a sudden playing piano becomes a struggle.

Remarkable progress . . . "Our son began learning piano in 1997. At that time he knew how to play nursery rhymes. Since then, we have witnessed remarkable progress in his playing. To our pleasant surprise, in 1999 he won several awards at two Brisbane eisteddfodau. He even came first in an under 11's piano category. And in 2000, he did even better. Since then, each year he has added to his collection of ribbons and trophies. My wife and I are greatly impressed by Dr. Hodge's teaching programs." (Mr & Mrs Wong, Wishart)

And then all hell breaks loose. The student wants to quit music completely. She finds it "boring" because in reality it is too difficult. As a result, the student is unmotivated, and fails to learn. And all this has come about because she cannot easily play the piece before her. No matter how hard the student tries, her hands and fingers just cannot get around the notes. All because the child has never been taught, for example, to sit properly at the piano. Stooped shoulders, rounded ("banana") back, and flat fingers are all signs of bad posture. And the frustrating thing for me is that if these things are just insisted on in the first few lessons, then there are no problems later on. But once the child has the habit of sitting incorrectly, it takes a near miracle to get them to sit and move properly.

Now I'm a piano teacher . . . not a miracle worker. And while poor posture can be fixed if the student wants it badly enough, don't expect instant results. And in some instances, poor posture will never be overcome. The ingrained bad habits take an iron will to overcome, and not every child has such great determination to solve the problem. So don't let your child begin her musical life with bad posture. Send your child to the Stoliarsky School of Music and we'll make sure your child is taught correctly -- from the beginning.

That's why even our young students will be winning prizes within a couple of years of commmencing their piano studies. Click here to see a list of our student achievements.

2. Slow Learning

Delighted with the progress . . . Our daughter Michelle, who is 9 years of age, has been a student with the Stoliarsky School of Music for less than 2 years. Prior to enrolling her with the Stoliarsky School of Music her level of piano playing was simple and below preliminary grade in the A.M.E.B. system. In the short time that she has been taught by Dr Ian Hodge she has progressed greatly and is now playing at a level equivalent to Grade 7. We initially attended a talk given by Dr Hodge in which he described the principles and goals of teaching at the Stoliarsky School of Music. He explained how students were "fast tracked" according to their level of ability and that the standard A.M.E.B. or Trinity College exams were not taken. We had always believe that in music one had to do each Grade of the A.M.E.B. or Trinity College exams but we had also heard of stories in which students had taken the exams to a high level but then had never played the piano again in later life. It was said to hear this because we have always thought that the love of music should be one of the great pleasures of life. After Ian's talk we continued with Michelle's traditional piano teaching but after some months we enrolled her with the Stoliarsky School of Music. Since that day she has never looked back and has made remarkable progress. She has enjoyed the music very much, she practises diligently and has gained in self confidence. The success of the Stoliarsky method of teaching can, in my view, be attributed to a number of factors. The music taught is "catchy" and students are motivated to learn. As they become more proficient the pieces become more difficult but are still beautiful compositions by the classical composers. The pieces are chosen carefully so that students enjoy them and are motivated to practise them. "Fast tracking" the students according to their ability to master pieces is very efficient and gives students a great sense of achievement. The use of regular informal concerts and encouragement of students to participate in eisteddfods helps them to achieve excellence and also gives them a gauge in which they can assess their level of piano or other instrument performance. Initially Michelle was quite reluctant to attend concerts and eisteddfods but once she had participated at one her confidence grew and she now has no difficulty with them. The Stoliarsky School of Music in Brisbane under the direction of Dr. Ian Hodge has a family like atmosphere which encourages learning and participation. Ian's wife Jessie plays an integral part in the organisation of lessons and other aspects and all of the Hodge children are students. They regularly appear in concerts and their talent is an inspiration for others. My wife and I have been delighted with the teaching that Dr. Ian Hodge has given to our daughter, and we would highly recommend him. (Dr & Mrs LeeSee, Sunnybank)

Slow learning does nothing more than get the child bored with music. There is hardly a child who cannot learn quickly. While each child brings his or her own particular problems to the music studio, each one is capable of learning . . . fast.

We know they can learn fast. That's why our students progress rapidly. We expect our beginner students to be playing grade three level by the end of the year. Within two years, we plan for them to be at a fifth or sixth grade level. And after four years, we will have them working for their first diploma in music from the Australian Music Examination Board.

Now not every child will make it in this time. Some make these grades even faster, like young Michelle who began playing diploma level pieces at age nine -- just two years after commencing her studies at Stoliarsky. (You'll have the chance to hear her shortly. Keep reading.) Others may take longer. Calvin took less than six months to reach diploma level pieces, but he was 12-years old when he started with us. No two children learn at exactly the same pace, so some children take a little longer. But our experience is that the expectations we set for students are reasonable and achievable.

Our teaching programs are designed to achieve results like these. And the only thing that will hinder this kind of progress is whether or not the child practices regularly.

3. Bad Technique

Children will not achieve a great result if they have bad technique. This means teaching the child how to move fingers, hands and arms in the easiest possible way.

It is surprising just how many piano teachers do not understand the physiology of the body enough to explain to students which set of muscles they should use. For example, there are at least three different ways that a student can lift his arm to move around the piano. But only one way makes playing easy. The others reduce mobility and make it more difficult to play.

Bad technique is revealed also in the way the student lifts his hands to move from one place to another. Jumping around the keyboard has similarities to jumping around the athletics field. If students want to win the long jump, they have to learn what the key is to achieving greater distance. The same issue arises when jumping from place to place on the piano keyboard -- accurately! It is surprising how many teachers don't know the answer to this problem of movement, and because they don't understand the issue, they never teach the child good technique. They just hope he somehow "discovers" the solution. Well, the truth is some do, but the majority go through life unable to move fast and accurately around the piano because they were never taught how to do it.

The real tragedy is that so often the child is blamed for poor results when the real culprit is the teacher who has failed to teach properly because they do not really know what they are doing. Students cannot play a piece so they are told to "go home and practice harder" rather than told how so solve the particular problem that is hindering the performance.

Muscular Involvement

Not every teacher understands the physiological issues involved with playing piano. As a result many students are taught poor habits and misuse of the arms and shoulders in piano technique. The end result is students who cannot play advanced pieces very well. Or maybe they cannot play them at all.

Now maybe you don't think playing advanced pieces is important, but nearly every popular piece in the piano literature presents some technical problem to the pianist. To overcome these problems, the pianist must know how to correctly use muscles in the arms and shoulders. And it is not only so-called "classical" music that offer challenges. Even the popular theme from "Mission Impossible" presents technical difficulties to be overcome by correct technique.

As I said, in some respects piano playing is like tennis or other sports. To play well requires the training of the CORRECT muscles. Not just any muscles, mind you, but the correct ones that make piano playing easy. When the student is taught the correct physiology and physics of piano playing, then playing becomes easy and natural. And only then will real enjoyment come from playing piano.

I know the physiology of piano playing. Very quickly I train my students in the correct arm, hand and finger movements that go towards a formidable technique. And because I teach this early, my students advance to higher levels much faster.

Click here to hear 10-year old Michelle playing portion of a Haydn piano sonata after just two years as my student. (And yes, you've been listening to another of my students, Geoffrey, playing "Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon." He was 15 when that recording was taking at a student concert and he had been with the school six years. That's him in the picture with one of his many trophies accumulated since 1999.)

I know the difference. I was trained to understand the difference. And I teach good technique right from the very beginning.

And my students respond accordingly. This is why my students in Australia did so well in competitions. They don't win all the time, but they won enough times for me to have an enviable record with my students. I produce winners because I teach children how to move around the keyboard the right way. Click here to see my student successes.

4. No Clear Goals

Fourth, poor teaching is often associated with no clear goals. Without goals, students have no direction. They have nothing to aim for. So they drift along going nowhere because they don't know where they going.

A passionate interest in music . . . "Our son has attended the Stoliarsky School of Music for three years. .  .  . The individual tuition by highly qualified and experienced teachers and the environment at Stoliarsky has assisted him and many other students to progress in their musicianship at a remarkable rate. Now at the age of seven, he reads music fluently and has reached a level of competence that allows him to enjoy playing and to give pleasure to those listening to him. . . . Frequent performance opportunities in a non-threatening environment have enhanced his confidence generally and as a performer. Above all, Stoliarsky has developed in him a passionate interest in music. . . ." (Mr & Mrs Sweeney., Hawthorne)

My program is goal oriented. I have goals for each lesson. The student has goals for each practice session.

There's an old joke which asks, "How do you eat an elephant?" The Answer: "One bite at a time." We teach our students that a piece of music is like an elephant, and if they will just take one small part of it at a time, they will eventually devour the elephant.

In addition, I have at least six goals every year for all the students. If they meet these goals, I get extraordinary results from the child. And when we get results, the students stay motivated longer.

5. Little Playing Experience

Children learn music in order to be able to play. If they do not get recognition for a job well done, they lose motivation. But it is surprising to find that many teachers don't provide performing opportunities for their students. Maybe it's because they can't get the children to play well enough so they avoid exposing them to public scrutiny. Or maybe they just cannot be bothered to make the effort to organize and plan a concert each term. It makes sense to create opportunities for children to perform. And the more they do it, the better they become.

So, I expect my students to perform . . . often, preferably once a term. There are frequent student concerts. And those who play well are rewarded. Just as the students in this picture have accumulated trophies, ribbons, certificates, and even cash prizes in competition.

I cannot stress too much the importance of performing. This is on the job training and experience. Without it, student's don't become very proficient. So I get quite amazed when we have job applicants at our School tell me that they think performing once a term is too much. Playing four times a year too much? Come on, now. Naturally, prospective teachers who tell me this don't get to to work at our School. But it highlights the problem, that many teachers don't encourage their students to perform, and the results speak for themselves. You are hardly likely to see students of teachers like these winning competitions or taking up music either as a hobby or profession.

I offer a very special environment for your child to develop his talents. I help children to be life achievers. I help them to excel knowing that even if they abandon music later, what they learn with me will help them to be highly successful in whatever they choose to do.

6. Costly Tuition

Often the wrong teacher can cost you a lot of money. On the surface, they seem cheap. They have a low hourly rate, and it seems an inexpensive way to get a child taught the piano.

But the real cost of tuition is not the hourly rate. It is the hourly rate multiplied by the number of lessons each year, then multiplied again by the number of years that the child undertakes lessons.

I have students come to me at age 16 who can hardly play, and they've been learning for 8 years or more. Their reading is slow, they are cumbersome around the keyboard, and they "stiffen-up" as soon as they have to handle something that has just a little difficulty in it. Now that is expensive lessons!

Stoliarsky inspires our children . . . "Both our children (now 14 and 10) have attended the Stoliarsky School of Music from an early age. The holistic music education approach, the excellence of the instrumental teachers and the importance of the curriculum on high standards as well as fun, has inspired our children to work hard. Consequently, they have grown as musicians in a quite wonderful way. . . ." (Mr & Mrs McKenzie., Ashgrove)

Forget the hourly rate. It is only relvant in calculating the total costs of tuition. A higher hourly rate with a shorter time span may save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The tuition is increased when you take into consideration that bad teaching adds further costs to learning because remedial work is necessary. And there are some students, as I indicated above, that never completely recover from bad teaching. In this case, the cost of tuition is damage done to the child's self-esteem and their pianistic abilities as well as the fees paid out by the parents. This is a very high price to pay because the wrong teacher was chosen.

I can reduce the number of lessons needed by anything up to four years, sometimes more, sometimes less. But my teaching methods ensure that whatever result is achieved, it is achieved as quickly as possible. And, since there are no corrective procedures necessary to fix technical, posture and other problems, I do not extend the learning process any more than is necessary.

As a result, my lessons are some of the cheapest available. Give me a chance to meet your child and see what he or she can do, and I'll tell you what your expected tuition will be over the period you'll have your child in my studio to achieve the goals you have established.

So when you choose a teacher for your child, make sure the teacher knows how to address each of these issues. I can assure you of the highest quality tuition at all times. And if you consider our results in fast-tracking the student, you'll find that we offer real value for money.

Money-back Guarantee

I am so confident in my music programs that I'm willing to offer a money-back guarantee. Just like magazine publishers who offer a refund on the unused portion of your subscription, I'm willing to offer you the same guarantee on the unused portion of your tution fees. If for any reason you are unhappy with the way tuition is going for your child, you can ask for an immediate refund of the unused fees -- and get it. I'll be sorry to see you go, but you will have this peace of mind knowing that you can stop at any time and not lose a cent.

Limited Vacancies

Now if this is the kind of music education you want for your child, then call me on 419-606-9595. Lessons are now avialable in the north Atlanta area.

Or, if you prefer click here to send me an e-mail. And please remember to include your telephone number so I can call you.

I wish I could teach every child who comes to me. But I cannot do that. You see, there are only so many hours in a day, and, to be quite frank, I can only handle around 50 students each week. After that, I have to offer students the opportunity to work with our other trained piano staff, but the same deal applies. Once their teaching hours are full, that's it. No more students in the piano department. (It takes me quite a few weeks to find and train a teacher to be competent in my methodology, so there will be no more vacancies for quite a while than what exists now.)

Don't leave your child's piano tuition to chance. Contact me now to find out exactly what I can do to help your child get the very best in piano tuition.

Ian Hodge (Ph.D.)

P.S. Act NOW to secure your enrolment. Call me on 419-606-9595 to see how I can help your child have a successful journey in music.