Dear neighbor,

I teach piano out of the front room of the yellow house on Quaker Lane, the one with the overgrown quince bush I keep meaning to deal with. I've taught here for nineteen years: beginners as young as five, adults who quit at twelve and regretted it for thirty years, and one retired judge who is finally getting the hang of pedaling.

Lessons are half an hour for children and an hour for adults, on the good piano, with me in the chair next to you and never hovering behind. We work from real music as fast as possible; scales are medicine, not dinner. If you're wondering about times and what it costs, I've written it all down plainly on the lessons page, and the questions everyone asks (do I need a piano at home, is sixty too old, what about stage fright) are answered honestly on another page here.

The short version of my teaching philosophy: music is not a talent contest. It's a thing humans do, like cooking or walking, and anyone who can tap a foot can learn to play something they love. My students play recitals in a hall with terrible acoustics and wonderful cake, and the applause is real.

If you'd like a spot, or you're not sure and just want to talk it over, call me at (555) 014-2204 or write to [email protected]. I answer the phone myself unless I'm mid-lesson, in which case Chopin apologizes for the delay.

Warmly,

Ruth Amsel

---

P.S. The fall recital is Sunday, December 6th, at the Grange Hall. Everyone plays, everyone gets cake, and nobody has ever been booed.