Last Updated on April 5, 2023 by Rebecca
Who is Doug Hanvey?
Doug Hanvey is the founder of Creative Keyboardist, an online piano school offering 1-on-1 virtual piano lessons for adults with a strong focus on creativity.
I recently had the pleasure of doing an interview exchange with Doug, and hearing his thoughts on many of the questions my readers often ask, and the struggles they often face!
Read on to find out more about Doug, what he offers through Creative Keyboardist, and some of his tips and encouragement for adult piano learners!
Q1. Tell me a bit about your piano business and what you offer.
Creative Keyboardist offers private, virtual piano lessons for adults that include instruction in playing, music theory, and musical creativity.
Q2. What is your favourite style of music to teach? (classical, jazz, pop/rock, improvising/composing, lead sheets, etc.)
Oh gosh, I like it all. I have a special fondness for Baroque music, which I think is incredibly useful for improving hand coordination and independence and overall playing skills. I very much enjoy helping students learn to arrange and compose.
Q3. What experience do you have working with adult piano learners?
I’d say 98% of my teaching experience is with adults. I’ve taught a handful of kids and teens over the years but I’ve always preferred adults. Probably because I have a strong preference for my students to be 100% self-motivated. That isn’t always the case when it comes to kids!
Q4. What advice would you give to adults who are considering learning piano?
Assuming you’re a beginner, acquire the best digital piano for an adult beginner that you can afford. Or an acoustic piano, if you can swing it! Believe in yourself and your abilities – adults can learn to play piano well, usually faster than kids (at least to a certain skill level). Learn to practice well – that’s a big one! Maybe most of all, be patient and enjoy the process. Don’t compare yourself with others or with an imaginary standard of how fast you think you should be progressing.
Q5. What advice would you give to adults who are learning piano through self-study?
I’m an autodidact, so I admire others who also endeavor to learn new skills on their own. And certainly, many piano fundamentals can be acquired or improved through self-study. I also think achieving a relatively high level of playing – what we might call true intermediate level – almost always requires the wisdom and experience of a good teacher. So at a certain point, consider taking some lessons.
Q6. Do you have a preferred method book series for adult students? If so, what do you like about it?
I’ve used Alfred and Faber in the past. My favorite was Faber. But being a highly-creative person and recognizing what I consider to be some of the limitations of these methods, I began to develop my own method. This is now the Creative Keyboardist Adult Piano Course, which is an online course for Creative Keyboardist students. In many ways it is similar to traditional book methods, but with a greater emphasis on creativity, theory, and – at least I think – a broader and more compelling repertoire than most adult methods.
Q7. In what ways does learning and practicing musical creativity (composing, improvising, arranging, etc.) benefit piano students?
Well first of all, music is essentially a creative activity before it’s a reproduction (performance) activity. I think that every music student should have the opportunity to explore what it means to be creative in that original way. There are other benefits, of course. For example, composing and writing down a composition can take your reading and theory skills to a new level. Improvising will vastly improve your ear. And so on.
Q8. What advice can you give to piano learners who are nervous or intimidated when it comes to musical creativity (composing, improvising, arranging, etc.)?
Recognize that it’s a different experience than learning to play someone else’s music. Because you’re making it up, you can’t really make a mistake. Just relax and enjoy the creative process.
Q9. What do you feel is the most valuable skill a piano student should develop?
Practicing skills. These skills are most often implicitly imparted from teacher to student but not explicitly discussed as often as they could be. Learning to practice is so much of what music lessons are about. Effective lessons generally lead to effective practicing skills.
Q10. Adult piano students are often worried they are too old to learn piano. What are some strengths or advantages you’ve noticed among adult students compared to younger students?
Many people ask: is it harder for adults to learn piano? They may assume that it is and then decide that they’re too old. As a general rule, though, I think many important proficiencies such as reading and practicing skills are acquired faster and more easily by adults. Of course, this depends on the age of the adult, their previous musical experience (if any), and other factors.
Q11. What are the benefits of learning scales and chords?
Scales and chords are the “vocabulary” of music. Just as you wouldn’t assume you could begin to speak and understand a second language without learning its vocabulary, to “speak” and “understand” (not to mention read and write) music well, learning its vocabulary is essential. Learning scales and chords will help you read better, learn faster, and be more creative with music.
Q12. Many adult piano students dislike the metronome. What are your thoughts about the use and benefits of the metronome in piano studies?
If a student dislikes playing with the metronome, it usually means there’s a problem that needs solved. That problem usually involves some combination of not establishing or feeling one’s own internal beat, synchronizing that internal beat with the metronome, and/or mastering the music to the point where the attention given to the metronome doesn’t lead to mistakes.
Q13. What are some of your favourite resources that you recommend for adult students (any particular books, equipment, accessories, websites, apps, etc.)?
I like Earpeggio for ear training. I also like iRealPro for play-alongs. It’s hard to keep up on all the potential resources that are out there. I will often research as needed when a student needs extra support for learning a specific skill.
Q14. What is something you wish more adults understood about learning piano?
Great question! Probably that it’s a long game, a lifelong endeavor. While adults can learn many of the most important piano skills faster than children, most of those skills can be endlessly improved. If you’re a beginner, you’re not going to be playing Clair de Lune anytime in the near future. But if you keep going…
Q15. What is something you wish more piano teachers understood about working with adult students?
That adults have unique goals and interests that should be recognized, respected and addressed.
Q16. What do you love most about working with adult piano students?
I enjoy working with students who are taking lessons because they want to. They’re often studying piano as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Their excitement is contagious.
Doug's Questions for Rebecca
Wondering about the other half of our interview exchange? Doug had some interesting questions for me about adults learning piano through self-study vs. private lessons, and also about my approach to piano improvisation. You can find Doug's questions for me here.