There are a lot of parents out there who believe it doesn’t matter who the first piano teacher is for their kids.
After all, they’re young. It’s pressing keys. How complicated can it be?
(This is the same logic singers use when they decide to bring in extra money giving piano lessons on the side.)
But the reality is, the younger the student, the more experienced and skilled the teacher needs to be.
To teach in a developmentally-appropriate way and to establish positive experiences.
So, let’s say a 5-year-old student is placed with an inexperienced teacher. The teacher tries to start him with middle C and staff reading in the very first lesson.
After a month or two, the child is frustrated. A year or two later, music has become a cognitive puzzle to be solved rather than an art form to be enjoyed.
Mom and dad try another teacher, but by that point, there’s a lot of emotional baggage to be dealt with. A year or two later, the student quits.
The student grows up to become a parent himself one day. But he doesn’t bother with music lessons for his own kids.
Because it wasn’t a positive experience for him, he doesn’t want to inflict that on his own kids. Why should he believe music lessons could be something other than what he experienced?
A first teacher can make or break a student’s music experience. And like ripples in a pond (or that horror movie The Butterfly Effect), you never know what the long-term impact will be.
But with a qualified, passionate teacher based in skill and connection, the same principle applies. A lifetime of memories and joy await. For the student, and future generations.