GREETINGS, ADULT MUSIC LOVERS!
My name is Pam Yarjan, and I'm excited your interest in adult piano lessons has led you to my page! Have you postponed realizing your musical dreams because you fear “it’s too late" and "you're too old to learn?” Perhaps you're an adult who started lessons as a child but soon quit because of negative experiences that left you feeling like a "musical failure.” Let me encourage you to put all your fears and baggage aside! I would love to help you get started on a successful and exciting musical journey that'll bring newfound joy, confidence and purpose into your life. According to a wealth of scientific research, you’ll also your sharpen your cognitive skills, boost your immune system, ward off age-related memory loss, combat depression, lower your blood pressure and enjoy a host of other benefits. Join my studio and you will receive creative, engaging piano lessons by a seasoned pro in a relaxed, encouraging, fun environment - all in the comfort of your own home! I even offer flexible scheduling that accommodates busy adult schedules and makes lessons more affordable for retirees. (Check out my "Flex Student" policy that allows you to take an average of two lessons per month!) I encourage you to read the info below and click on the various tabs on my site to discover how joining my studio can get you started on an exciting and rewarding musical journey. Isn't it time to start having fun?
ISN'T IT TOO LATE FOR ME TO LEARN?
No, no, no! My experience is that adults learn faster than kids for many reasons, mainly because they are super motivated. Also, the "fear factor” is non-existent in my studio so my students thrive! I put them at ease from the get-go and make the lessons as understandable and engaging as possible. Many of my adult students missed the opportunity to take lessons as children and are now getting a second chance to pursue their dream to play the music they love. They have found that “being too old to learn” is a myth, and are enjoying lessons so much they wonder why they waited so long! Adult “re-beginners" discover they are are anything but musical failures. Often they were just too young when they started lessons as children, or they had musical abilities, tastes and learning styles that were just not appreciated or accommodated by "old school” piano teachers. Many quit lessons because the competitive pressure, formal atmosphere and rigid approach that often accompanies traditional piano pedagogy took the joy out of learning. If you identify with any or all of the above, please know all those obstacles will be removed when you join my studio, replaced by an excitement and sense or adventure that will make you feel like a kid again! What are you waiting for?
CREDENTIALS & EXPERIENCE
I grew up in Charlotte, NC where I studied piano nine years with John Whitaker, founder of Southern Park Music School. I earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I was awarded a four-year Sidney Dowd music scholarship. At UNC I studied piano with Michael Zenge, pedagogy with Duke Miles, and composition with Thomas Brosh and Roger Hannay. I also earned P-12 Certification in Music Education from the University of West Georgia, and am a member of national, state and local chapters of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association.) In addition to teaching private piano lessons to children and adults alike for four decades, I taught elementary classroom music for 20 years, directed and accompanied both choirs and ensembles in schools and churches, and also have an extensive theater background. I studied jazz piano for a year with Kevin Bales, and continue to expand my musical horizons in different ways! When Covid-19 appeared, my ongoing passion for Recreational Music Making (RMM) inspired me to transition to teaching online lessons to adult learners. Since 2020 I have accumulated countless hours of training via webinars, online coursework and private research.
PHILOSOPHY
Although I was classically trained in a highly competitive environment, early in my career I developed a passion for an alternative approach to teaching that has finally been recognized and legitimized by the field of piano pedagogy. This approach, which I mentioned above, is called Recreational Music Making (RMM) and caters to individuals (particularly adults) who want to play the piano for their own personal enjoyment, without the pressure to perform or compete. They want to play the styles and genres they love, whether it's pop/rock, Broadway, jazz, blues, light classics, hymns, contemporary Christian, or music from their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They may also be interested in alternative ways to play, such as reading from a chord chart as opposed to learning from traditional notation. I find it so rewarding to accommodate these types of adult learners in my studio, because more rigid, formulaic pedagogical approaches have often deprived these types of learners of the tremendous physical, emotional, psycho-social and cognitive benefits of taking piano lessons. If you're one of them, you have found the right place to start your musical journey!
WHY CHOOSE ME FOR A TEACHER?
Join my virtual studio and you get the best of all worlds - a seasoned teacher with a resume that guarantees you will receive the finest instruction available, with no pressure to perform and no need to leave home. Not only do I expertly teach traditional note-reading and theory, I can also teach you how to play your favorite songs "by ear" using a chord chart - such a fun way to play the piano! Most importantly, I give my students lots of individual time and attention, tailoring my instruction to accommodate their particular needs and wants. I make the lessons as understandable, fun, and engaging as possible, in an environment that is non-threatening. Between lessons I constantly create custom handouts and record supplemental videos to help each student reach their goals. My music education certification and classroom experience have given me special expertise in recognizing and accommodating all learning styles and presenting musical concepts in fresh, creative, entertaining and engaging ways. From your very first lesson I will use these combined skills to help you establish the rock-solid habits that lead to great musicianship. No matter what style of music you want to play, you are guaranteed a thorough, solid foundation in music reading, theory and technique using the finest method books, my own supplemental material, and my decades of study under legendary teachers. Best of all, you will have loads of fun in the process and eagerly look forward to every lesson!
WHY TAKE VIRTUAL LESSONS?
Just think - no more showing up for your lesson feeling rushed and frazzled because you were fighting traffic or you forgot your books. No more feeling "rattled" when you play a piano totally different from the one you're used to. No more being exposed to germs and viruses that can abound in a busy in-person studio. I must admit my students and I were apprehensive about trying virtual lessons when the pandemic hit, but the experiment was such a smashing success we all preferred to continue online even after it was safe to resume in-person instruction! Though the tech set-up initially seemed daunting and complicated it was actually quite simple, and everyone got the hang of it right away. You will, too, because I will help you through it step by step, and you'll likely have it down by the end of your first trial lesson.
My students and I discovered many advantages over in-person lessons. We all love how my over-the-keyboard webcam allows me to demonstrate fingering, technique and music concepts much more constantly and clearly than before, in close-up fashion. In pre-pandemic days we kept having to switch places on the bench, with students looking over my shoulder. We love the interactive whiteboard and screen-sharing capabilities that make learning understandable, easy and fun. My students love that they can have a top-notch teacher without traveling a long distance. They love being able to practice right up until their lesson time so they're all warmed up, confident and relaxed when it starts - sitting in an environment they're used to, whose thermostat they can control. They love the fact my virtual recitals (with optional participation) use pre-recorded video performances, allowing them to showcase themselves at their best. No more pre-performance jitters! Most of all, my students love that they do not sacrifice expert instruction in order to enjoy these marvelous conveniences afforded by today's technology.
My virtual studio is outfitted with the finest equipment and applications to ensure you the highest quality learning experience, including a Kawai grand piano, a Yamaha digital piano, two Logitech webcams (one for "over-the-keyboard" view,) Macbook Pro laptop, 12.9" iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, 27" monitor, Blue Yeti microphone, Sennheiser headphones and more! Finally, I utilize the fastest available fiber-optic internet to help ensure the most reliable high quality streaming video and audio possible.
CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY TRIAL LESSON!
If you'd like to try a complimentary trial lesson and/or ask more questions about becoming a member of my studio, please click on the "Contact" tab, fill out the form, and I will get back to you very soon. I look forward to talking with you about meeting your musical goals! I can help you do it! It will be FUN!
FOR NEWLY REGISTERED AND CURRENT STUDENTS
By creating a private account with a user name and password, you will be able to do a host of things on this site:
- Pay fees and view payment history
- Read important announcements
- See your lesson schedule, lesson history, and notes from the teacher
- Keep a practice log
- Communicate with the teacher
- View the studio calendar
- Download the studio policy, registration forms, and educational handouts