About Me:
My name is Amanda Wold, and I live in Keller, TX with my two young sons. I grew up in Southeastern Minnesota and lived a "rural" life until I left for college. I went to the the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and received a B.A. in English Literature. The day I graduated from college I moved to Texas, and have been here ever since. I began Graduate coursework at the University of Texas at Arlington and have since transferred to TCU to complete my Masters Degree.
My Music Background:
My love for music began at a young age; I was surrounded by many talented musicians in my family, and I always wanted to be like them. By the time I was 3 I was begging my mom to let me take piano lessons. I was way too young, however, so the answer was always "Not yet." That didn't stop me from sitting at the piano and banging away! But, when I was 4 years old my parents noticed that while I was sitting so focused at the piano that I was playing little familiar tunes by ear; I had worked out what notes to play for several nursery rhymes and a few short commercial jingles. My parents both agreed it was time for music lessons.
So, at 4 years old I began taking lessons from my high school cousin who taught a few local students. The following year when I began Kindergarten, I began taking lessons from my aunt who had about 20 students and was a talented pianist. I took lessons from her through the sixth grade, but after that she insisted I move on to a more experienced teacher. Beginning in my seventh grade year I took lessons from a teacher in a nearby college town that taught many competitive pianists. While taking lessons from her over the next two years I competed in a few competitions and was invited twice to perform at the music festival's recital that honored the "best" performances. I also performed in several large recitals while taking lessons from her. After two years with this teacher, she moved away and passed me on to a Music professor at Luther College in Decorah, IA. I took lessons at the college for 3 years with this professor.
While studying piano with the professor, I developed severe tendonitis in my wrists and elbows. Much of the tendonitis was blamed on being taught incorrect form for playing piano for so many years. I went through physical therapy, but also had the opportunity to learn the physiology of playing piano from a respected pianist from New York City. She flew in to La Crosse, WI once every month and taught injured musicians the correct way to play their instruments. I took lessons from her for an entire year, while continuing lessons with the professor (who also took lessons from the music physiologist). These lessons were invaluable because as I became a teacher of piano, I was able to teach my students from the very beginning the proper form for playing piano so that they would not suffer the same injuries.
During my 10th, 11th and 12th grade years in high school, I also taught piano lessons to several area students. My students ranged in age from 6-11 and from beginner to intermediate. I loved teaching piano then, and I love it even more now, as my passion for music and children have only grown.
My musical interests were pretty intense growing up; I not only took weekly piano lessons for 14 years, but I played clarinet in band for 7 years, took vocal lessons 7 years, sang in the high school choir, show choir and church choir, played piano in the high school Jazz Band for 5 years and participated in State Music Competitions each year for 4 years for Solo Voice, Vocal Ensemble, and Band (and received medals for Superior ratings in each division entered), and sung in numerous recitals, musical plays, etc. I guess you could say I couldn't get enough of music!!! I also attended several Broadway performances that traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, to include: Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story and Rent. More recently I went to 1964: The Tribute and The Little Shop of Horrors and am looking forward to attending Grease in August!
Piano Lesson FAQ's:
Who should take piano lessons? Any child or adult that has the desire to play piano or make music!!! Some students may be ready at an early age, but keep in mind that lessons are 20-30 minutes long, and for younger children, 20-30 minutes is a long time to focus and sit still. And of course, it is never too late to start!
How long are piano lessons? Lessons for 4-6 year olds are 20 minutes in length. Lessons for 6 year olds and up are 30 minutes in length. Lessons are broken down into warm up, technique, sight reading, practice/performance, and music appreciation.
Do I have to have a piano at home? Yes, students MUST have a piano or full size keyboard at home. Learning to play the piano is done through consisitent practice at home. In order to improve and learn, students must practice a minimum of 10 minutes every day or a total of one hour per week.
How much does it cost? Lessons are $16 for a 20-30 minute lesson (according to age--see above); this does not include materials (books, etc.) or the one time registration fee.
Is there a Registration Fee? Yes, you must pay a registration fee ($30/student) to hold your lesson time. The reg. fee is non-refundable and covers your first set of materials (books, etc.)
Are lessons given through the summer? Yes. Lesson times are available throughout the summer months, as desired.
Schedule for Lessons:
Lessons are taught each week at the same time. Lesson times are available Monday-Friday from 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Call today to schedule your child's lesson time; slots are filling up quickly for the 2009-2010 school year! At the last lesson of each month you will receive notice of the following month's schedule regarding any holidays or such.
Necessary Forms for Lesson Registration:
(Please fill these out and either email them or bring them with to the first lesson.)
COMING SOON!!!
***There will soon be a link giving access to view the 2009 Spring Recital!***
***Photos from the 2008-2009 year!***