I’m Irene Stephenson…
..a music teacher, and more specifically, a piano teacher. I help people take their dream of playing the piano, and in a few short weeks, make it their reality.
I work with eager to learn students of all ages, from five to Eighty-five, helping them to experience the satisfaction that comes with learning to play great sounding songs quickly, almost effortlessly, resulting in playing piano for the sheer enjoyment of it.
It was not always this way for me. In 2007 I made a decision that drastically changed how I taught people to play the piano.
I had been teaching students the reading based approach to learning how to play the piano. This is where a student has to learn to read music first, in order to learn how to play the piano.
This particular year, I had a group of seven-year-old boys, who had all started taking piano lessons with me three years previous. They had all come into their first year of piano lessons with great anticipation and excitement, dreaming of learning how to play songs effortlessly at the piano, and sounding fantastic at the same time. By year three, learning to play songs only by reading music, had taken a tole on them. The reality that this dream was going to take more years of practice and dedication before they could just sit down at the piano and play for the pure enjoyment of it, as they had anticipated had set in. These boys were not so excited anymore to play the piano. In fact, they were looking at quitting all together!
I was extremely saddened by this. I knew I had to teach an easier and more fulfilling way where both children and adults could learn to play the piano in a way that brought them faster results, and at the same time, would bring them great satisfaction
I became consumed with finding an easier way for my students to learn. That is when I found the playing based method I teach today. This is where students learn how to play songs on the piano before they learn how to read the music. Just like we all learn how to speak, before we learn how to read and write. I knew that I had found a way for people to be able to really learn the language of music, in a practical way, right on the piano itself, without thick theory books, and laborious slow note reading sessions.
My mission now is to bring students, young and old, experienced or non-experienced the opportunity to learn to play piano in a quick, enjoyable and fulfilling way.
The lessons I teach, are for students who want to not only have the ability to play from a note reading book, but also play from a fake book, and sit down and play from no book at all! Creating music for the pure enjoyment of it.
My interests and adventures in Piano Playing and Teaching:
Have been teaching Piano for over twenty years. The last fourteen years, have been teaching my students the playing-based approach.
Developed many teaching aids, and music games along the way.
Have written musical plays for my piano students to perform.
Accompanist for singing groups.
Developed and Co-Lead two-day Piano teaching workshops for teachers.
Developed and Co-lead Marketing webinars for Piano teachers.
As I look back on my life, I can see how learning to play the piano has helped me to develop into the person I am today. I thrive on creativity. I am goal oriented. I love structure and discipline. I’m observant and appreciative.