The Stackhouse Piano Studio exists to help piano students discover the joy of learning by cultivating wonder and an appreciation of beauty through the study of classical piano repertoire and all good music.
My name is Nicole Stackhouse. I am a pianist, business owner, educator, wife, Catholic, and lover of all things beautiful. I believe that the study of beauty through Classical piano repertoire is more important for our world today than ever before. It's my hope that this blog will help students and their parents understand and appreciate Classical piano music better as we study this beautiful art form together.
After I left my public school teaching job last year, I had the opportunity and privilege of taking time away from full-time teaching to decide what I wanted this season of my life to really look like. In fact, I wasn't sure I would return to teaching privately at all - I was honestly just so burned out from my 4.5 years in public education.
However, with prompting from some of my favorite students, I started teaching just a handful of students again.
This gave me the opportunity to discover what it was about teaching I actually loved and what I wanted to change.
The last time I taught privately, I felt that there were so many things that I was expected to do as a private teacher that I just wasn't excited about. Going to conferences, doing all the contests and having formal recitals - those expectations really took the fun out of it for me.
After all, piano is supposed to be fun - right? RIGHT?
Coming back to private teaching now, older and wiser (and caring a lot less what people think,) I had some definite boundaries in mind that I wanted to put in place this time around.
What I was not expecting, however, is how amazing it has been to rediscover private teaching with the freedom that I can do what I want to do - and not do what I don't want to.
I'm letting go of the expectations of others, and now I am so excited to share all of the NEW classes and lessons that are going to be available this Fall!
Music for Little Mozarts
I've been wanting to do these classes for YEARS!
Join friends Beethoven Bear and Mozart Mouse on a magical adventure. Designed specifically for students age 4-6, students in Music for Little Mozarts classes will learn rhythms, songs, stories, and musical appreciation through fun and engaging 10-week classes. Three levels of classes are available which do not require a piano or outside practice.
Upon completing the class, students are invited to enroll in the Introduction to Piano class. A piano at home is required for this class and students (and their parents) will learn how to create a home practice routine. All concepts previously learned in the Music for Little Mozarts classes will be related to the piano, giving students a solid foundation before they move into private lessons.
These classes are currently only available in-person in Shawnee, OK, but online versions of these classes will be added Spring 2024.
Online Group Piano classes
If you did the math, you probably already figured out that I was teaching in public school during the entirety of the COVID lockdowns. What you may not have realized is that I was a group piano teacher - so that meant I was teaching all of my courses (filled with 20 middle schoolers at a time, over half of them 1st time beginners) virtually.
Oh, with no training - they just said "Do it."
Ha. OK.
But I did it! I learned how to use all the technology, came up with creative ways to get the job done in a completely different format, and had a very successful year - students learned and met every benchmark, which I don't think could be said for any other subject. Once we were back in school, they performed like they'd been in class in person all year.
Kids are so amazing.
I actually grew to love teaching in that format and (weirdly) missed it even when we were back in-person.
Like Franz Joseph Haydn, who spent most of his composing career fairly isolated, I was "forced to become original" as a pioneer of online group piano teaching.
I have taken all of that experience and creativity and put these into online group piano courses of my own, and they are better than ever! To my knowledge, no one else is offering anything like this!
These courses are designed for anyone ages 7-17 wanting to learn piano and are perfect for students that may feel intimidated or anxious about a private lesson. Students have the opportunity to get to know their peers in the class and can learn piano from the comfort of their home.
These classes are designed with homeschoolers, Classical and Charter school students, and 4-day week public school students in mind. Classes are currently planned to be held on Mondays and/or Fridays - but if you need a different day, let me know - I'm open to offering these on other days as well as long as the classes fill.
I guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom out of the teacher - I just love teaching groups of students!
Enroll today in my new Music for Little Mozarts class or the Online Group Piano class (or any other class) by going to the Contact Tab and entering your information. I'm so excited to begin this Fall!