Kelly Walsh

Hello! I have a Master's Degree in Music as a Piano Performance Major and a Music Theory Minor and have been teaching piano for over twenty five years. I specialize in teaching music reading and have written two award-winning books on the subject. I am passionate about classical music, especially the late Romantic composers. I can help you acquire great technique and show you the best ways to practice your music to learn it quickly and with less effort. Many of my students have been accepted into prestigious music schools and colleges. Let me help you to become the best pianist you can be.

1. Playing, not practicing. In order to learn a piece quickly and thoroughly, troublesome sections must be isolated and practiced with as many repetitions as needed for the passage to flow without mistakes or hesitations. Beginning and intermediate pianists will often play through their music from beginning to end, continuing to stumble over the same problem areas. 2. Listening to too many recordings of a piece. Your listeners want to hear your interpretation of the music you are playing for them. Listening to other pianists play the pieces you are working on may cause you to imitate their interpretation instead of expressing your own ideas about how the music should be interpreted. 3. Moving on to new music too soon. After a pianist learns all of the correct notes, rhythms, and dynamics of a piece and can play it at the correct tempo, the task of creating something beautiful begins. Phrasing is often overlooked but crucial to the complete realization of a piece. Faithful execution of the dynamic markings is just the start. The intermediate pianist must learn to listen carefully to his pedalling and to the effect it has on the music instead of just lifting it mechanically out of habit. 4. Rushing to play pieces that are beyond their capabilities. Intermediate pianists should not neglect repertoire that will help them expand their technical abilities and musicality. All too often, intermediate pianists choose pieces that are either technically or musically too demanding for them, resulting in disappointment when pieces don't sound the way they were expected to sound. Be honest about your current stage of accomplishment and choose music that you can play well now. Enjoy the journey. Each piece is a stepping stone to the music you may want to play when you are more advanced. It will be worth the wait.