Student & Parent Reviews

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 I'm a parent of 2 kids, a 6th grade boy and 4th grade girl. Both kids have been taking piano lessons with Jean since kindergarten. Jean is an amazing teacher; she really takes the time to get to know a child as an individual -- what motivates them, how they learn best, and what music they love. One of the things I most appreciate about her is that she teaches the kids music theory via the music, instead of through a workbook, which is how I was taught as a child. My kids can read music and understand time signatures, scales, chord families; but they learned that via playing, not through repetition or drudgery. I also love how she teaches the kids the music THEY want to learn. When my son was 6, he loved "We Will Rock You" by Queen. Instead of saying "There's not much melody there, so it's not really a piano song," Jean whipped up an easy arrangement that he could play, and he played it for his first recital. Now as a 6th grader, she is teaching him jazz and blues, because this is what he is gravitating towards, whereas my 4th grade daughter loves pop music and Disney songs. Jean lets each of them play what they want, and makes the songs more or less challenging so they are appropriate for their level. We had the pleasure of having in-person lessons with Jean pre-pandemic, but she transitioned to Zoom lessons after COVID-19, and this has worked remarkably well for both of my kids. We miss seeing her in person, but her warmth and sense of fun comes through the screen just fine. We can't recommend her highly enough! 

Ronan:

Jean is a funny teacher who is good at recognizing when I’ve played well and when I haven’t. She makes piano fun!

Ella:

Jean is a really nice person who is also a great teacher. She lets us play what we are interested in and that keeps it fresh and fun.

Jean Stites is one of those rare individuals that makes other people the best they can be. She is a master piano player, a master of music theory, and a truly inspirational teacher. She is the whole package. 

My 12 year old daughter started taking lessons at age 7. I joined her shortly thereafter and fell in love with playing the piano. My 16 year old daughter started during Covid and occasionally, my husband, who plays the guitar, will even take a lesson from Jean! She makes it so fun that everyone wants to participate. 

Although we’re all at similar levels, it’s not uncommon for us to be learning in completely different ways. Jean tailors our lessons to our interests, our weaknesses and our strengths. For example my youngest enjoys fast, syncopated music; whereas my oldest likes longer, slower ballads. Jean complies.

Jean does have one strict policy: Regardless of the concepts you’re studying at any given time, you should always be learning one song that you love. My youngest has now gone through several “favorites”. It’s been fun to watch how she masters each one quicker than the one before.

I would happily recommend Jean for anyone looking to learn or advance as a piano player.