Michelle Phelps, Beginning Piano & Songwriting

Michelle is truly the very best!!! I found myself blessed with a piano in October of 2014 and having not touched one in over 30years, I reached out to Michelle to help me regain my piano path. From the first moment we connected on the phone there was a spark of amazingness! Michelle was kind and nurturing and put me totally at ease. She assured me it did not matter what level I was at, we would meet me right where I was and begin our journey forward. For our first meeting, she had me bring in all the music I love and love to play. Our taste is EXACTLY the same. Michelle’s reassurance and just some simple adjustments literally changed the way I approach piano playing. Having always played by ear and by chords, I was astonished when in a mere 3 months I was playing Beethoven and Schubert by reading music!!! I would have never thought I could tackle those. Michelle is like a best friend, a sister, and the greatest mom anyone could ever dream of in her approach to teaching. Finding Michelle here on Unilocal is an will probably always be the greatest find I will ever discover! Thank you so much Michelle. I look forward to the continuation of our piano journey together…

What can I say? I love the piano. I’m a singer and have always been drawn to the piano. And I’d heard you can start at any age. So there I was at 50 and ready to dive in. Well, there’s no one better to take the dive with than Michelle. She is the kindest, funniest and most delightful person I’ve met in a long time. She’s even a better teacher. And just when I thought I couldn’t be more excited about learning to play, she’s made it even more exciting. I can’t wait to learn and then practice, practice. I would have never thought I could learn a song so quickly. She breaks it down in a way that makes it seem so easy. And she teaches using music and songs I LIKE. She seems to know all genre’s of music from Classical to Alternative as well. I enjoy her approach and bright personality so much.
Today I’m playing songs and although I still have much to learn, she is my hero.
Thank you for helping to take my music to another level and for giving me a deeper appreciation for an art I love so much.

For as long as I can remember there is one thing I have wanted to do with my life: be a singer songwriter. I spent my whole childhood singing and taught myself to play guitar, but piano seemed so out of reach. So many keys and so many weird shaped notes… it seemed like it would be 10 years before I could play along with my favorite song on the radio.
After at least ten years of trying out different teachers, learning how to play simpilifed verzions of Motzart (boring!!), and giving up and quitting within a month, I decided it was time to crack down and find me a teacher who knew exactly what I wanted to learn and how I wanted to learn it.
Michelle’s approach to teaching piano is absolutely amazing for anyone of any age. In my first lesson we discussed the artists I liked and the songs I wanted to learn to play, and I learned a Paramore song in the first lesson. I was able to even play and sing along for my family within that first week of practicing! She really tailors the lesson to you and the best way you learn, and you’re off and running from the first day.
I am so glad I found her. No more ‘beginners’ piano books and dreading my piano lessons. If I hadn’t, I’d still have my dusty electric piano sitting in my room mocking me! I can finally call myself a piano player. and I can finally accompany myself while singing :-)
Downside to working with Michelle– We have too much fun and I can’t take her home with me to play piano all day. Also, I spend time practicing piano more than I do on my college homework… whoops! (-;