“Alex made things I had struggled with for ages both understandable and fun.”

Norm, mature student.

 

“During my lessons her focus is entirely on me and I feel we are on an exciting journey together. She doesn’t compromise, if there is a mistake she will continue to help me until I get it right – her standards are extremely high. However, she is also very flexible and if I have a problem she will find another way to help me. Alex is very patient, calm and relaxing, and never shows any irritation.”

Jackie, mature student.

 

“The lessons are good fun. Alex has inspired me to play the piano. She is a good teacher with a high standard of teaching as I have got excellent marks in my grade exams. My technique is good and I feel comfortable playing. Alex is very nice.”

Kacper, 16 years old.

 

“I love Alex’s methods and ideas in the lesson. She explains things really clearly and I understand them well. I enjoy our lessons very much and I feel I have learned and gained a lot from them.”

Marta, 14 years old.

 

“I love the exercises before the lesson begins and the way Alex points at the page makes it easier for me to read the music. Alex makes our lessons really fun!”

 Aimee, 7 years old

For a very in-depth account of what really happens in a lesson, Janet wrote a wonderful review:

 “I am a mature student and have some musical background but am not a pianist from a young age. My piano learning experience is patchy. I didn’t begin learning until I was eighteen years of age.

In September 2021, I discovered my new Piano Teacher, one Alexandra Baltyn who has a studio in Cheltenham.

What a discovery…. She is all that I ever dreamed of a piano teacher being. She is lively and has a really good attitude with empathy towards the pupil, she is also creative in her approach to all aspects of the lessons. She builds confidence in the pupil as the lessons progress.

I would highly recommend her style and content of teaching. Her approach is to meet her pupil where they are, in the beginning. She then searches in some depth to find gaps and technicalities which may be lacking. At the same time she is encouraging and firm. 

Her approach is holistic and she employs the Alexander Technique to help the pupil relax and feel less anxious when starting out with a new piece and when difficulties inevitably arise through the progress of the pupil’s learning experience.

At the start of the lessons Alexandra asks the pupil to bring a Notebook for notes that she or the pupil may want to make during each lesson. Therefore, one accrues over time a notebook reference to fall back on when the need arises. I have found this extremely useful.

She always begins the lesson with a warm up, which involves, scales, broken chords and arpeggios along with elements of improvisation involving chord progressions and she explains how they work in music generally.

The improvisation elements and scales are always linked to the pieces which the pupil is learning to play. Alexandra recommends this method of working as part of one’s practice routine, which as time goes by makes perfect sense and warms up the hands and helps to familiarise one with the keyboard. It also makes using different pianos easier.

The next part of the lesson is about the pieces which the pupil is learning. She assists with analysis of the pieces as well as guiding the pupil as to fingering choices, expression, pedalling and explaining musical terms and methods of how to play the notes from the page.

I know that she does do examination work with those who wish to do it, but at the moment it isn’t my choice to do that. 

Most of all she is an exciting teacher, who inspires the pupil to want to play the piano well and to do her teaching justice. I thoroughly look forward to the weekly lesson and really enjoy all the practice time that I can fit in around my daily routine. I have really enjoyed the improvisation part of this teaching.

We had to do some on-line teaching and I felt almost as if she had been in the room at home where the piano is. There was no difference in the quality of Alexandra’s teaching and the communication of her ideas and general teaching was excellent.

Alexandra is a rare teacher and has a particular gift for this vocation. I cannot sing her praises enough I recommend her to anyone at any stage of life who seriously wants to learn to play the piano.”

Janet, mature student.