The Kiddos have played some piano in the past, but all of the instructors either were not consistent (cancelled a lot), they didn't have convenient times available or were just too expensive. When the opportunity arose to review HomeschoolPiano, I was excited to try it out.
The program is taught by Willie Myette. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music and has toured both Europe and America. He is the founder of JAZZEDGE, JazzKids, PianoWithWillie and more. His music has even been played on over 90 radio stations nationwide!
I received a lifetime membership for 5 family members to HomeschoolPiano- Complete Set of Books. The membership, which includes bonuses such as sheet music, downloads and jam tracks can be purchased for $299 or $99.97/month for 3 months. I paid more than that for just a couple of months of lessons in the past. This program is for all ages (parents included!) :-)
The program has four levels. The first, for the absolute beginner is called Core Piano. The lessons can be viewed on a computer, a tablet or a phone. My kiddos all used the computer. I printed out the piano books.
Book 1 is entitled "Perfect for Beginners." Book 1 is for beginners. They will learn to read music and some improvisational skills
Book 2 is "Building a Foundation." In it, the student builds upon what they have learned in the previous books. For a child who has had some piano experience in the past, this is probably the place to start.
and Book 3 is "Unlocking the Pianist Within." This level (we didn't get to it yet) will help the student develop rich piano arrangements for different musical styles.
Each book has 6 units and each unit has 6 lessons. On the video, Willie is in the bottom corner explaining and teaching. There are two keyboards-- one is the actual piece he is playing and the other is a virtual keyboard that is demonstrating exactly what he is doing so you can emulate it on your own keyboard or piano
Each lesson, based on the National Standards for Music Education, follows a 6-step cycle: Technique, Rhythm, Ear Training, Reading, Song and Improvisation. This all helps them develop their ear, read music and someday even write some music of their own. :-)
In the video below, Willie explains the basics of the program:
We used the program several times a week. It is easy for the kids to log in on their own. I like that they can take quizzes to assess how much they have learned and they like that they are doing something independently. They are also able to repeat a video as many times as they would like or need. Since it is internet based, it can be used any time of the day or night (don't have to worry about an instructor's schedule) and it is far less in cost. Definitely a win-win situation. :-)
You can find HomeschoolPiano on these social media outlets as well:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolPiano
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jazzedge
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jazzedge/
To see what some of my colleagues on the Crew had to say about the program, click on the banner below:
2 comments:
Lisa!!! I've been looking at piano lessons (for both myself and my daughter). Thanks for this post! I hadn't heard of it before and will definite look into it further.
From all of us at Jazzedge, we thank you for your unbiased review. Hope you enjoy the lessons!
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