Penny Lazarus Piano Studio

At Penny Lazarus Piano Studio, no two students are taught the same way. Instead, I address each child’s learning style and teach in a way most appropriate to the individual. Students don’t just learn to read notes — they discover patterns, repetitions, and connections in the music, learn rhythm by moving and melody by listening, making practice more productive and learning more enjoyable. Our emphasis is on problem-solving and investigating mistakes as opportunities. I model how to practice and how to break a big project into smaller steps and reasonable time frames. Students learn that tackling a piece of music is no different than handling a project at school by working progressively through a ladder of goals. Students study a variety of piano music from all over the world, although the emphasis is placed on learning to appreciate classical music and underrepresented composers. Students in our studio become confident and polished musical performers, and many go on to major or minor in the performing arts in college.

Classes

There are many ways that students in the studio interact and mentor each other. Along with weekly individual lessons, monthly small group workshops called mini-recitals are offered. This is where students play for each other in “student only” groups or work together in music projects or visit with inspiring professionals.