studio
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WELCOME! (Photos 2-3)
Hello! And welcome! I'm Hilda Ryan, a piano teacher in Charlotte, NC. If you are looking for a piano teacher, bravo to you for pursuing the wonderful world of music! I'd love to talk with you about lessons. Please give me a call and we can arrange a time to get together.
My studio is at All Saints Presbyterian Church on McKee Rd, conveniently located in the Matthews/Ballentyne area of Charlotte, only two minutes from the 485/Providence Rd Exit #57.
Piano students love to play and find practicing rewarding because the assignments are specific and advancement in both reading and musical understanding is apparent.
I'd love to talk with you on the phone and arrange a no cost/no obligation Interview and Assessment. At this point in order to maintain a balance in the studio, I will need to limit the interviews to teenagers of any level.
My phone number and the exact studio address are in the Contact Information at the top of the home page.
GOALS
1) Reading: Developing the lifelong skill of reading music fluently
2) Interpretation: Teaching students the "why" of music interpretation so they can begin to make interpretive decisions independently
3) Functional piano skills: Providing opportunities to play pieces in all the keys, transpose, harmonize and improvise using folk tunes and hymns
LESSON STYLE
Concepts are taught using principles that can be applied to successive pieces, enabling each student to LEARN HOW TO LEARN. In this way, students become independently able to make beautiful music on their own!
A discovery style lesson works best for fostering this kind of independent thinking. Time spend leading the student to discover a concept rather than telling them is time well spent. My motto:
"Never tell a student something you can lead them to discover by asking a question!"
PIANO BOOKS (Photos 5-8)
I use a combination of books on the market and those I have created myself. A number of books I have written are currently used in the Matthews/Ballentyne studio: a beginner method using folk tunes, a book in all the keys with harmonizing and transposing, a collection of the easiest classics for the piano, a piano skills book and a customized assignment book.
BEGINNERS LEARN TO READ "PHONETICALLY"
When a child learns to read using a phonetic approach, they quickly become fluent and are confidant sounding out any word. In the same way, students taught to read music "phonetically" play with a fluency that is enviable and serves them for the rest of their life.
Simply put, they learn where the notes are in relation to each other (intervals) and how far they are from specific landmark notes.
RECOGNITION/MOTIVATION (Photo 4 & Students page)
Younger students get weekly stickers on their pieces, all students earn trips to the "Bravo Box" for completing specific books or skills (see Students Page), and awards are presented at the Spring Recital for completing various reading levels.
Regular opportunities to perform are provided in the studio throughout the year as well.
Principal Instrument: Piano
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mission statement
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Students learning how to learn |
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bio
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 With a background of piano teaching and church music spanning 35 years, it has been my privilege to serve the Charlotte area as a piano teacher since 1980 when I completed my Master's in Piano Pedagogy (teaching).
My husband and I moved from Columbia in 1980 to begin our family and careers. He is now the managing partner of the CPA firm, Ryan, Geer & Co., and I am involved in teaching piano, playing in various venues and Director of Music Ministries at All Saints Anglican Church.
We have three sons at various stages of their lives. Our oldest, Jonathan, is a concert and church organist working at a church in Chicago. David, our middle son is majoring in exercise science at Virginia Tech and has been involved playing drums for Campus Crusade and playing club soccer. Our youngest, Benjamin, received high honors both as a soccer and football kicker as a high school senior and is one of the kickers at East Carolina this year.
A number of years ago, we moved to the college town of Wingate where we enjoy a slower pace and the beauty of the countryside.
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