FAQs

Why don’t you have 30 minute lessons?

Thirty minutes is just not enough time to cover what we need to do in a lesson-- posture, hand-position, theory, technique, sight-reading, playing by ear, repertoire and composition—the forty-five or sixty minute lesson gives us the time we need.

Why is my co-worker’s child, who has been studying piano for a shorter time, ahead of my child?

Every student has their own unique set of circumstances and characteristics: these include innate talent and predisposition, early childhood experiences with music, fine motor development, ability to focus, family culture, and most importantly, their own desire and drive. No two people will develop in the same way or in a similar time-frame. Focus on your child’s special genius and don’t compare your child to anyone who is supposedly doing better! There will always be people who are “doing better”!

What is the novitiate period?

A novitiate is a new student. New students must be treated with the utmost of care as they set up habits that will be with them for a lifetime! During this period, students are monitored very closely and there is more communication with parents than there will be later on. During the novitiate period, students will be evaluated for their admission as a regular student.

How do you determine if progress is being made?

In general, a student should be learning at least one half to one page of a song or piece per week. Each year, most students will pass through one level. These are averages and will not be reflected in every student’s work every single week. Also, we keep working on pieces for many weeks and months (fine-tuning the expression and articulation) concurrently with adding new work. At times, the progress is very nuanced. The instructor keeps records of the students’ progress and is highly experienced in recognizing advancement and/or the efforts made towards advancement. Additionally, the students keep records to demonstrate how their work is going at home.

Students who regularly participate in Royal Conservatory Examinations will have a concrete record of their progress as well as being inspired to move on to the next level. I strongly endorse this program!

Can students choose their own songs?

Absolutely! This is your piano career! There are certain things we all must do to acquire the skills we need. But outside of some fundamental requirements, students choose their own program!

What method do you use?

Every student is, of course, unique! Ms. Paddon brings the wealth of her lifetime experience, combined with constant student evaluation to customize every lesson depending on each student’s particular strengths and goals.

Do you have a reward system?

Research has proven time and again that rewards (stickers, trophies, contests etc.) do not motivate students in the long run. As a matter of fact, they stunt children’s learning! The natural, long-term reward of your child’s effort is their progress and their joy in making music!

Why can’t my child just play some games with you at the lesson? We don’t want anything “old-school,” we just want our child to have fun.

This may be a good plan for some families. You will find these kinds of lessons in various other music schools, but not at Paddon Academy of Piano. Yes, we like to have fun! Yes, we can and do learn through games! And yes, we also work hard at lesson time as well as at home to become a fabulous piano player!

Parents who “just want our child to have fun,” often pay out thousands of dollars for lessons over the years and there’s nothing to show for it. At Paddon Academy of Piano we expect results and have set the bar high for accomplishments. And by the way, it is the ultimate fun to progress into advanced levels and become a smoking-hot, totally cool piano player!