Piano Adventures Beacon

Sarah Terrell is an incredible instructor. Her enthusiasm for the piano is contagious and surpassed only by how deliberately she prepares for each class.

Her small group lessons offer students an opportunity to play together, develop listening skills, support their peers, challenge themselves, and share musical fun.

Sarah’s curriculum is comprehensive. As she teaches students how to read music, she also integrates theory, musicianship, rhythm, different styles of music, music history, and listening skills. Each 45-minute class is jam-packed with activities that flow gracefully from one lesson to the next. Kids are engaged and challenged.

Sarah is thoughtful. She gets to know each student, their learning style, and what motivates them. She tailors her approach to each individual and fosters a collaborative group dynamic and culture of support.

As a parent new to music, I find Sarah approachable and encouraging. She fields questions, gives us tips for effective practice habits, and shares all kinds of resources including local musical events for kids. She enlists parents to partner in their child’s musical education and is a clear communicator about her expectations.

Piano Adventure recitals are such a joy! Students are prepared for everything: their hand posture, how to introduce themselves with a microphone, how to recover smoothly from a mistake. They take the stage proudly and confidently and root each other on.

My child has been with Sarah for three years. They come home from each class excited to share what they have mastered, what they are working on, and the stars they earned. Their growing piano skills and sustained enthusiasm for music are a direct reflection of what Sarah provides so beautifully.

Ms. Sarah is a gem of a piano teacher. Her style to small group class is unique. The kids have the benefit of learning with peers who encourage and support each other within a shared interest, as well as the social factor of an otherwise solo endeavor. She instructs with an individualized approach. She will work with each child within the group and cater to their pace, gently push them when they need it to challenge themselves to their potential, and help them build confidence while acquiring the technical skills to develop their own expression and musicality.

I witnessed my own child grow and shine in his confidence because of her! She offers an array of suggestions and tools for parental support for the home to best guide them, perfect for the non-musically inclined like ourselves.

She also plans pizza parties for her students for inter group social interaction and music sharing. There is a holiday party for all the families to gather and share music. She organizes an annual opportunity for the students to play for seniors at an assisted living facility, engaging the young with the older, sharing is love!

She thinks of it all and offers a complete and encompassing experience for her students!

Sarah is a fine, true teacher with a magical way of reaching kids! My son always looks forward to his lessons and to practicing. She has somehow given him the right level of push and challenge while maintaining patience and keeping it 100% enjoyable. His initial fear of playing for others has turned into a wish to play for everyone he can, something I never expected. He wants piano to be a part of his life forever and even now speaks of picking up other instruments. His enthusiasm and progress we all owe to Sarah. I cannot imagine a better piano teacher for any child!

We've been bringing one or the other of our daughters to Sarah Terrell for piano lessons for over five years now, and she is everything we could have wanted in a piano teacher. She's kind and has an excellent sense of humor, but she also sets real expectations for each student. Better still, she gets to KNOW each student and caters her lesson plan to their unique skills and personalities. Parents of young children are expected to be involved in their child's practice routines and behaviors, so piano becomes a family affair. She covers everything from posture, technique, sight-reading, and ear-training... but she also teaches a love of the instrument and of music itself. It is difficult to imagine our children studying piano with anyone else, and there is no one I would recommend more highly. Thank you, Sarah, for enriching our lives!

My son has been taking piano lessons with Sarah for 5 years now, and I can't imagine having anyone else as his piano teacher. She somehow manages to strike the perfect balance between fun and discipline at every lesson. She holds her students to reasonable and achievable standards, and celebrates and acknowledges every step of their progress with them. She has exposed my son to both classical and jazz pieces and composers, while also encouraging him to play the pop and rock songs he hears on the radio for fun. I can't recommend her highly enough!