Why I Teach 45-Minute Lessons

A lot of teachers who teach young children teach a 30-minute lesson to beginners. Why do you teach a longer lesson?

I teach kids to play the piano, but I also teach them all about music, which just can’t be covered in a 30-minute lesson (except for kids K–2).
A 45-minute lesson provides the time to:

• Review all pieces that have been practiced during the week
• Learn new pieces, technical skills, and work on sightreading (playing a piece for the first time that isn’t to be practiced)
• Plan what is to be practiced during the upcoming week
• Work on composition activities and music theory assignments
• Do fun stuff, like improvisation—I play an accompaniment on piano or on my iPad, and students play along, making it up as they go. We also do games: iPad apps, flashcards, ear training  (kids listen and guess the right answers)—kids really love all these activities!