Shepherd Piano Studio

Everyone loves music. To many students, however, learning to master musical elements such as the grand staff, note identification, rhythm, and key signatures can be intimidating.   As a piano instructor, my primary goal is to make the study of piano a joyous and rewarding experience. Therefore, it has always been very painful to watch whenever my students struggle for accuracy in their rhythm, tempo, notes, and dynamics while pursuing excellence in their playing. I frequently ask myself questions such as: How can I help? How can I shorten their struggle? How do I make this learning process more fun and enjoyable? Instead of seeing that they feel they are not good at music, is there any way or any tool to make my teaching more effective?   I strongly believe that the more I seek solutions to help students learn more effectively, the better the teaching skills I will attain. This summer, after playing with lots of music apps, I found that the following games are fun to pl...

Introduction. The Royal Conservatory is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world. Students at Shepherd Piano Studio are offered the opportunity to participate in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program. This program not only involves performance, but requires students to develop musicianship and theory skills as well. It is a well-balanced training to cultivate great performers and musicians. At each level, the program sets goals and measures success against students across the United States and Canada based on a national standard. Participation in a Royal Conservatory Program can be a first step on the road to become a professional musician. Results (May 2014). I am extremely proud to announce that six Shepherd Piano Studio students participated in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program during the 2013-2014 academic year. Of those six, two were awarded 1st Class Honors with Distinction (the highest score level), two ear...