About Stephanie, the Piano Lessons Critic

"My name is called.  I get up and take the silent walk.  I walk, I walk, I walk until, finally, I have reached the bench
on which I sit myself.  I position my sweaty hands, take a deep breath, then press my beginning two keys.  The other eighty-six keys wait to be played, if played at all.  I'm through the first page of the song.  The sonorous music coming from my fingertips takes me into another world.  I start to sway to the melody as I begin the third page of music.  I'm totally oblivious to the other world around me.  I continue to express myself through the fourth and fifth pages of music.  I remind myself of the dynamics.  I'm in the middle of my sixth and last page.  I soften the music, enclosing upon a ritardando.  I play my last note, wait, then release.  I get up, look at the smiling, clapping people and bow, not trying to hold back a smile myself.  I walk back to my seat feeling good about what I've just done."  --Stephanie

This is how I feel when I play in front of a big audience.  The feeling is so unique that I wrote this poem about it many
years ago.  All those beginner piano lessons and all the time and money spent on them is instantly forgotten about the
moment I start playing now.  However, it takes some time to get to this point, and that's where I come in.

My name is Stephanie and I am here to talk to you about your interest in starting to learn piano.  Whether you have just
started taking lessons, have taken a lesson here or there, or have never even touched a piano, my website will help you on your journey.

My Piano Story

I started taking piano lessons when I was 6 years old.  The first piano teacher I had came to my house for lessons, so I was always playing on my piano we had at home.  Well, the piano I had at home was my Great-Grandfather's piano and it only had 73 keys (a standard piano has 88)!  When I got older, (and had already been through a few piano teachers due to moving), I remember coming home from my lesson to my little piano and playing what I had just learned.  Well, there were a few pieces I had where the really low notes in the music weren't even offered on my piano.  The keys didn't go that low!  Not to mention, since my piano is so old, the notes sounded horrible.  My grandma got it tuned once, but the freshly tuned piano actually sounded really weird to me.  Anyway, I still have my little piano and even though the tune has slipped again, it is still my favorite piano to play on.

To this day, I still teach myself new songs on the piano and even use playing as a stress reliever.  It is so relaxing to me
to just sit down and play some of my favorite songs.  My parents miss hearing my tunes echoing in their house (I have my own house now and my piano is with me!)  My parents came to my house on my Dad's birthday, and he said the perfect end to his birthday would be to hear me play his 2 favorites songs.  It's moments like these that I will always remember.

Why I made Pianolessonscritic.com

I believe the most important part of playing the piano is learning the fundamentals, the basics, the core.  Without the
fundamental chords, technique, and knowledge, you really can't go too far with the piano.  Proper form is important because that is what helps you play smoothly and quickly.  Knowing how to read music really helps with lessons and also enables you to teach yourself how to play any song you want to.  When learning how to play the piano, it is important to build up these beginning fundamentals first.

So, I started looking for piano sites that offer not only how to play songs on the piano, but that also teaches you these
basic necessities.  I tried some out and wrote reviews about each one.  A couple exceeded my expectations and were definitely worth the money....others, not so much. 

I hope my website helps you in starting or even continuing your journey with the piano and I hope you find that the products are more helpful (and not to mention much cheaper) than other methods of learning piano.

Good luck and more importantly, don't give up on yourself!
If you need any advice, guidance, or just someone to talk piano with, email me anytime at stephanie@pianolessonscritic.com.

Thanks!
--Stephanie