For this blog post, we interviewed Tania! Tania lives in Scotland, and just started with our piano courses during quarantine.

Keep an eye out for more Q & A blog posts like this one: we enjoy hearing from students, and we want you to be able to read about their story with Piano in a Flash too!

Q: When did you first learn about Scott and Piano in a Flash?

A: Oh, around the end of March. I saw a Facebook advertisement, and I ended up taking the free intro course. I was hooked.

Q: Who or what inspired you to start playing/pick piano up again?

A: I first learned when I was a child. My mother played, so I suppose she was my inspiration. It was almost expected with little girls in the UK, to learn piano. I played for around seven years, and quit lessons when I was 15.

Q: Did you have any prior musical training?

A: I played clarinet as well, and I was in the choir. I was taught Beethoven and Bach, lots of classical songs, and not much else.

My son is studying composition in Vienna, and I love that kind of music, but when your 10 year old son is playing better than you… you realize you’re playing piano for your own enjoyment. I’d love to be playing styles like Springsteen and the Beatles, songs from the easy listening genre. I love the sound of the piano in those kinds of songs.

Q: How was learning piano with Scott’s method, versus learning other instruments?

A: The main thing is the sense of achievement. You feel a sense of pride, so quickly, with Scott’s lessons. I’ve seen my son develop as a musician with classical lessons, but classical lessons aren’t for everyone. With Scott’s lessons, you still have to work hard, you still have that “gymnastics for the brain” bit, but the reward is so much more immediate. My husband told me “you plateaued in classical, but with Scott’s method, you really feel the music.” I find Scott’s manner extremely pleasant, he is very easy on the pupil so as to not discourage them. He has an ability to get his point across, but in a very understanding way. It may be hard, but you just have to keep persevering. And there’s no sense of pressure. He is very personable; he makes me want to come back and switch him on again.

Q: Has playing piano helped you in other areas of life?

A: It’s an activity that I want to do, because it helps me forget the stress of work, and helps me switch that bit off completely. All the benefits of playing piano…. They’re huge. It’s having an activity that you take great pleasure from, available for you to do at any time. It’s relaxing, but it’s also hard work. It switches the brain to be working in a different way, and it’s something that you want to do. It’s something that I really enjoy. And it’s a great exercise for our brains. I really love music, so it’s something for me to do that is pure enjoyment.

Q: Do you play for anyone else?

A: Other than the people in my house, not really. I really play for myself, but I do enjoy the fact that my husband really enjoys hearing me play. But at the end of the day, it’s my thing, for me. I devoted a lot of time to my twins, now it’s time to do something for me.

Q: What’s your next musical-related goal?

A: I really want to finish the course. There’s quite a lot to learn, and I’m diligent about not skipping anything. I’m in Course 4, and I got it in March. Part of me isn’t in a hurry, because I’m learning things at my own pace.

Q: What would you tell people who are on the fence about Piano in a Flash?

A: A friend of my daughter, learned classically, but she was finding it frustrating to do anything more basic than her classical songs. I told her to check out Scott’s Courses, because Scott really helps you dial into those basics and make them into something great. This is truly an investment, and you will be quite pleased with the turnout.

THANK YOU Tania for sharing your story with us! If you’d like to learn more about Piano in a Flash and how Scott teaches online lessons, click the link below to sign up for a free webinar!