What I Offer
- Private instruction for adults who are beginners, or returning to the piano after many years away.
- Group classes and workshops in which students get together and work on particular skills they want to improve, such as working on rhythm, technique, sightreading skills, and more.
- We also have Adult Piano Party Potluck Soirées, which are fun, informal get-togethers so that students can play for each other (or just listen, if they’re not ready!) pieces they’re working on.
“Traditional” and Not-So-Traditional Piano Study
I’ve been playing for over 40 years, and I still can’t wait to get to the piano. I enjoy the process of figuring out a new piece, and working it until it’s right, which of course it’s never quite right! I have times when I’m frustrated that I can’t “get” a passage of music right away, but I know the techniques to get there, and I can help you get there, too. My goal as teacher for each and every one of my students – geared to their own abilities and interests – is to be able to play any piece of music they want to, no matter how difficult it is for them personally. It’s to guide all of you on your own journey of learning to play the piano.
What Do I Teach?
I work with adult students on both “classical” tracks (“classical” here includes many periods of Western music other than the Classical period), as well as tracks geared for those who want to play pop, rock, blues, jazz, blues, Broadway, movie themes, by sight-reading arrangements, but also from learning how to read lead sheets (also known as “charts”). So whether you’re interested in learning Beethoven and Bach, or you want to begin to learn how to play from charts or lead sheets, I say, let’s do it!
To see what some of my adult students are saying, click here.
Sharing our music together at one of our Soirées, an informal get-together we have every few months.
Who Do I Teach?
I have singers come in who want to be able to accompany themselves, I have sightreaders come in who want to learn to read a “chart.” I have students who play at an advanced level, who want critique on performance, or who have trouble with sightreading skills. I have students who are brand new to piano and want to get started, from ages 20 to 80 and older!, working and retired, or who played as kids and are eager to get back to the piano!
Go here for reviews from adult students of Julie Cleveland’s teaching.
FAQ
I’m retired but have always wanted to play the piano. Is it too late?
It’s never too late! If you’ve never played piano, it’s definitely one of the easier instruments to learn. And as long as you are self-motivated and disciplined, and are able to practice a reasonable amount (even 30 minutes a day, or most days) you will see results in no time. And if you’re able to practice more than that, you will be a piano player in short order! Beginners generally are able to play an early intermediate classical piece, such as Für Elise by Beethoven, as early as one year after study, depending on how much you can practice. If you had lessons when you were young, and you’re returning to the piano, you’ll begin to see results right away.
I travel a lot and can’t make it to a regular lesson, is it possible not to come every week?
Yes, indeed! In the scheduling of my adult students, I can be more flexible. You can of course sign up for a weekly lesson, but I also offer lessons “a la carte.” No slots are available between roughly 2–6 pm for adults, which is my “prime-time” for my young students, but I have for all adult students both weekly and a la carte daytime and some evening slots available Tuesday–Friday.
What if I don’t want to work on classical, just pop or rock or jazz tunes?
Lessons for adult students are geared toward each student’s individual game plan. Some students want to learn only the classical repertoire, while others may be more interested in studying jazz harmony and improvisation to be able to play “standards.” Many want a combination of the two, and other genres of music as well. And some students want to know more about theory basics, or how to compose their own music.
Lessons/Scheduling/Rates
45 and 60-minute lessons are offered as well as lessons “a la carte,” that is, not a regular weekly timeslot. Visit the Studio Policies page for more information on rates, lesson scheduling, calendar, and group events, etc.
Cape Ann Piano Studio 