Student Spotlight
Name: Alexander W.
Age: 14
Years studying piano: 5
Click on These Videos
“Humoresque” performed by Alexander W. From Piano Adventures Level 3B Lesson Book by Nancy and Randall Faber. Copyright © Dovetree Productions, Inc. Used with permission.
Song: Humoresque
Song: Kwela No. 1
“Kwela no. 1” performed by Alexander W. From Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, compiled and edited by William H. Chapman Nyaho. Copyright © Oxford University Press 2007. Used with permission.
What do you do in your free time?
I have played basketball, soccer, and baseball, but I like basketball the best. In my free time (when I'm not playing the piano), I enjoy playing Minecraft and Roblox.
I also enjoy traveling. My top three places to visit have been CocoCay, New York City, and Alaska.
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What led you to decide to take piano lessons?
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I took violin in 3rd grade, and that got me into music. Then one day, I told my Mom that I wanted to learn piano, so my Mom signed me up for lessons. I had seen piano at church, school, and concerts and knew I wanted to play it.
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What have you learned so far?
A lot of music theory, chords, scales, 7th chords, a lot of songs.
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What are you most proud of in piano?
Being able to play very difficult songs.
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What are your biggest accomplishments?
Kwela - sounds nice and is different from most of the other piano music I’ve heard.
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What is the hardest part about piano?
The beginning of learning a new song. It’s completely new, you aren’t used to it and haven’t done anything in the song.
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Is it worth it?
Yes! You get to hear the song you’ve been practicing without any mistakes.
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If you could give advice to someone contemplating piano lessons, what would that be?
Start off easy with chords and scales, then you can learn songs.