Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Zuber.
Jill, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Music has been a part of my life for about as long as I can remember; I started piano lessons at age 4. When I was in high school I began teaching piano to neighborhood kids and studied piano pedagogy as a minor in college. After college I was given the opportunity to teach music theory and private piano lessons at a school in Mexico. This was a fascinating challenge, since I had to pivot to teaching in Spanish. From then on, I have had an interest in teaching bilingually.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve been so thankful to have fabulous students and families, without a lot of drama. A struggle that comes to mind is the Covid-19 pandemic. Piano lessons are, for the most part, in-person and hands-on, in close quarters. In an instant my students and I had to learn how to operate virtually. I’ve never been exceptionally techie, but I actually enjoyed figuring out how to successfully implement Zoom, webcams, mics, and creative options like porch drop-offs. We were virtual for a year and a half!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I was young, I went through a traditional piano curriculum. I learned notes and rhythm and how to play classical music. It was all good until I started playing with my first band about 20 years ago. There were no written notes, just chord charts. I was lost. I had to start almost from scratch. I determined from then on to teach my students to play with chords in addition to notes, so that they could better take part in today’s practical needs for keyboarding skills.
At Lake Street Piano Studio students go through a somewhat traditional curriculum with a couple distinct differences. Every student is unique in their path, but most students leave piano with a foundation in chording. They are able to jump into playing with a school jazz band, church worship band, or a rock band with their friends.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One favorite childhood memory is from 2nd grade. I wrote a story about a boat that was blue on the bottom of the hull. A dolphin, mistaking the bright blue color for another dolphin, kept trying to play with it and flipping the boat over. The boat maker solved the problem repainting the boat in another color, and the dolphin happily swam away in search of a real dolphin. I won a young authors award for the story and got to go to a special event.
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