Natalia, please tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I started learning piano at the age of five and gave my very first piano lesson at 15. As soon as I started, I knew teaching would be a career for life. I was a natural at interacting with students and felt at ease when communicating knowledge to others. Throughout my learning journey, I enjoyed piano playing but practicing became tedious and boring. For a while, I thought about quitting piano until I met my teacher, Renee Chang. Renee was a teacher who understood how to communicate with students and I was infected with her passion for piano. Since then, I told myself that I would become a piano teacher that could become a motivation to students like Renee was to me. As I continued my study, I knew I had to become a well-rounded pianist to become the best teacher I can possibly be, so I was accepted into the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and obtained my Bachelors in Piano Performance.
When was Natalia Huang Piano Studio incorporated? Tell us more on your expansion into virtual programming. How has the pandemic affected you?
The studio was founded in 2003 in New York City, and in 2011 it had expanded into a multi-teacher studio. Instead of growing into a music school with multiple instruments, I made the choice to keep the studio piano only. My intention was so that the studio can focus on being the best in one instrument. Since then, the studio has grown into three other locations in Los Angeles (Hacienda Heights and Brea), and Connecticut (Greenwich).
As I am sure it is the same with all small businesses, this pandemic has certainly taken a toll on the studio. However, as a versatile and resilient entrepreneur, the idea of a completely virtual program came; not just to adapt to the current situation, but to go towards the future in technology utilizing so many different platforms available for educators to make interactive and fun lessons for our students right at home!
What is the ideal age group for your classes? How are classes structured?
The NHPS @ Home program is an all-virtual program for beginner to intermediate piano students age six and up. Students will have one thirty-minute private lesson and up to two thirty-minute group classes each week. The group classes are designed to engage students with interactive music classes with peers alike, and each class is on a different topic (i.e. music appreciation, jazz/improvisation, theory/aural training, and more). We believe in building long-lasting musical interest for students, and the well-rounded program will do exactly that while enhancing their piano playing experience.
How do you motivate young musicians to keep practicing?
I always tell parents that this is not about sitting at the piano for hours at a time. It’s about consistency. Especially for young beginners, they really only need about 15 mins a day (students are always excited to hear that!) to review the materials they’ve learned in class. Our teachers are great at setting achievable goals and objectives for students to work toward after each lesson. Other than practice sessions, another way we keep young musicians motivated is by encouraging parental involvement and help make music relevant at home. Take your child to concerts or other music-related events! Lastly, we enjoy giving fun practice challenges that keep students on their toes and excited to practice piano throughout the year.
Do you regularly evaluate student progress?
Most definitely! There are many ways to evaluate students’ progress: during weekly lessons, performance workshop, semester recitals, and some of our students also take state/international examinations.
Do you host recitals during the year?
Not only do we host student recitals at the end of each semester, but students also have the opportunity to attend performance workshops throughout the semester to work on their performance etiquette. Upon teacher recommendations, our students have also performed with professional jazz musicians, chamber ensemble playing, collaborate with dancers, and more! We expose students to as many real-life musicians’ opportunities as we possibly can and help them understand more about the world of music.
What advice would you give a parent whose kid is passionate about music?
I would ask these parents to provide the necessary support for these kids who are interested in music. Not only to find them a teacher who may support that students’ passion and ambition but also expose them to all things possible in the realm of music! Take their children to as many music events as you can and expose them to different genres of music (musicals, concerts, jazz in the park, opera, piano recitals…etc.) If that student wants to become a world-class musician that’s great and I’d said go for it! If not, they will have developed a life-long passion for music and a wide array of knowledge of culture and the arts.
Are there any music books you would like to recommend for kids?
There are so many great young children’s books to introduce music and instruments to kids. A couple that I especially like is 88 Instruments by Chris Barton and Jazz Baby by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Laura Freema. These books are great for preschoolers and early elementary kids. Another great series that is wonderful to get your child started on piano playing is Wunderkeys; they introduce fundamental concepts in a fun story-telling way, and have cute characters and games that keep kids engaged while learning about piano!
What is the best way to reach you?
Please visit our website for more information on the NHPS @ Home Program, and email with inquiries and questions!
Thank you so much for your time!!
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