Piano Lessons for Advanced Students
This lesson plan is for you if…
… you are preparing to apply for a conservatory;
… are studying at a conservatory but need additional support;
… have finished studying, but want to further develop your playing, your knowledge of performance expression in different historical eras, or refine your performance style and artistic voice;
…you need extra support, inspiration, ideas or feedback while preparing for concerts, recordings or competitions.
Teaching Focus
My work with advanced students focuses most commonly on:
Piano technique
Performance expression
Helpful mindset and effective practicing strategies
Here is what I mean in a bit more detail:
Piano technique
I believe that playing with physical ease and without excessive tension in various parts of the body is extremely important, because this is often the thing that prevents us from playing the way we want. In my lessons we focus a lot on effective use of body movements and body weight and understanding why and when to use certain movements and ways of playing. Furthermore, we focus on understanding the connection between the bodily movements, on the one hand, and characteristics of the music and expressive qualities that you want to create, on the other.
In short, our goal is to free your body of unnecessary tension and clarify how you can effectively use movements and body weight for various expressive purposes.
Developing performance expression
Working on performance expression is focused mainly on exploring various possibilities that one has in interpreting the music of the past and doing this through actual practice. The emphasis is on acquiring knowledge and practical experience that will enable you to see the possibilities that go beyond literal reading of the score and help you turn ‘correct’ performance into a ‘fine’ one, to use Louis Spohr’s (1832) words.*
In order to do this, we look into expressive tools that are described throughout history and learn how to experiment with and practically use all of the tools that are at your disposal – many of which are not explicitly marked in the score, but have been a part of different performance styles for centuries. In this process, I encourage experimentation, close listening and discovering things for yourself, which can help you to further develop your own artistic voice and performance style.
In short, the goal is to use knowledge of a wide range of historically and artistically valid interpretative possibilities, and reach expressively convincing and personal ways of interpreting a piece of music.
While learning about the history of performance practices is valuable–for reasons that are too numerous to address here–one of the main goals of this work is to find or nurture your own artistic vision for the music and make your performances as expressively convincing as possible.
*For the discussion of these terms, as they relate to violin playing, see: part three, section one, of Louis Spohr’s Violinschule (1832).
**My passion for and knowledge of this topic is based on over ten years of intensive scholarly and practical research into the performance practices of the late eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-centuries. It is also at the centre of a course that I am teaching to master level students at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague.
Helpful mindset and effective practicing strategies
In my teaching I always aim to create an atmosphere where students feel supported in overcoming difficulties and unhelpful frames of mind, and are stimulated to fully explore their artistic vision. A part of this support includes developing effective practicing strategies that save time and energy.
Overall, I am primarily interested in supporting the unique journey of each student . My main concern is to help you get closer to where you want to be with regard to the physical mastery over the instrument, expressiveness of your playing and development of practices that can support your career.
Below you can find more information about practicalities and activities that are included in this plan.
Lesson plans
All lessons for advanced students are 90 minutes long.
Advanced students can choose between two types of lesson plans:
regular lessons (weekly or bi-weekly) and
lesson packages ( of 4 or 8 lessons)
Each of these is more fitting for different situations and goals. You can read more about the details of each in the studio policy and in the FAQ section below.
Activities
Performance opportunities
Students have the possibility to perform in public at locations in The Hague, during student concerts or other events.
Group lessons
Occasionally I organise group lessons where students can try out new repertoire in a more informal public setting and get additional instruction.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for highly motivated advanced students.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Lessons can be held:
1. At your location: if you are living in The Hague and surrounding areas like Leidschendam, Voorburg, Rijswijk, Wassenaar, Voorschoten…
2. At studios in the centre of The Hague: for example Het Koorenhuis
3. Online
-
Regular lessons (90 minutes): €60 per lesson
There are two options as far as the frequency of the lessons is concerned:
Weekly lessons
Bi-weekly lessons
Lesson packages (90-minute lessons):
Introductory lesson package (only for first-time students) 6 lessons: €45 per lesson
Package of 8 lessons that can be used flexibly over the period of one year: 65 per lesson
Package of 4 lessons that can be used flexibly over the period of one year: €75 per lesson
Single lesson: €90
Scholarships are available for highly motivated advanced students. The exact form and amount of scholarship is made for each individual case at the beginning of the collaboration (usually either after the first free-tryout-lesson or at the end of the introductory-lesson- package).
NOTE: No Value Added Tax (BTW) is added to the price for all students (including students who are above 21 years of age).
-
Regular lesson schedule is better, or even necessary, if you need to acquire new skills or change approaches to playing that don’t give good results (if you, for example, feel discomfort or pain while playing; or feel stuck with issues of expression and interpretation). In this case, more time and repetition is usually needed in order to gain new knowledge and/or incorporate new skills. Therefore, regular lessons would be a better option.
Lesson packages are a good option if you want to work on a specific piece of music or if you need extra support for a specific purpose, such as preparing for a concert, recording or a competition. In this case, the sessions could be also held in a shorter period of time, if for example the deadline for a performance is close.
If you are not sure, we can always meet and discuss what could be better option for you. Feel free to send me a message and we will schedule a free try-out lesson.
-
Yes, we can begin with the lessons at any point in the year.
-
Yes.
1. In-home fee: When lessons are held at your location, the in-home fee is added to the lesson price. The fee varies depending on your location, and is calculated based on the distance and time needed to arrive. (A rough guideline for calculating the in-home fee is: within 3-kilometre radius from the city centre: 5€; between 3-6 kilometres: 5-10€; more than 6 kilometres: calculated depending on the situation.)
2. Studio fee: when lessons are held in a studio in the centre of the Hague, a fee is added. Depending on the location it is either 5 or 10 euros.
-
Billing:
Lessons are billed at the end of each month. Other options such as fixed monthly payments or larger one-time payments are also possible.
Cancellations:
Scheduled lessons need to be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. Late cancellations will be billed.
You can find more information on both of these subjects in the studio policy.
-
I teach in English, Dutch and Serbian.
For full information details see the studio policy. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a message.
If you are interested, send me a message and we will schedule a try-out lesson to see if my expertise and attention can be of help to you. No strings attached.
If I am not the right teacher for you, I will gladly suggest one of my colleagues or give you advice as to how you might get where you want to go.
Your email will be used ONLY for directly corresponding with you and not for any other purpose.