When I was about 11 and my sister was about 9, we started taking piano lessons in an elderly woman’s home. Unfortunately, I got compared a lot to my sister’s skills and ability to play by ear by my mother and piano instructor. I lost interest after a few years.
Even though my time taking lessons was short-lived, it did give e me the knowledge of rhythm, tone, and just the ability to effectively read music among other things. Piano lessons are great for children and as adults, we are never too old to learn.
My oldest, who will be seven in less than a month, had voiced interest in piano lessons this summer. I live in a small community and a few really great piano teachers retired over the last year. The school music teacher was giving lessons, but his time available was limited to how many students he could accept so when the opportunity to review Hoffman Academy of Music came about, it seemed like a great fit for my daughter.
Hoffman Academy of Music is an online program and also has a physical location for instruction in Portland, Oregon, that started in 2007. I will refer to the online program in this review. Mr. Joseph Hoffman is the instructor in the videos.
I find this crazy to believe, but Mr. Hoffman has taken his time, education, and skills to offer FREE videos! You can view the provided videos off the Hoffman Academy of Music site by clicking on the “get started” button. From there, you will be prompted to create a free account or view videos as a guest. You can also click on the “lessons” tab at the top of the page and select the desired unit of lessons.
Here is the first lesson with Mr. Hoffman:
Along with the free online lessons, there are complete materials available for instant download that are currently priced at $9.50 per unit. They have a list price of $19.00 each unit. The materials can then be printed out at home for use. You will not be mailed a copy.
Complete materials for Unit 1 covers lessons 1-20, Unit 2 includes 21-40, and Unit 3 covers lessons 41-60. The complete materials include: worksheets, activity sheets, song sheets with instructions, and MP3s to listen and practice with. A parent’s guide is also included.
As a parent, you are the “Daily Practice Partner” for your child. You do not need to have any prior musical experience to do this. The lessons should be done together as a child-parent team. It is recommended to spend 15-20 minutes each day for optimal progress. If the child needs a shorter practice, you can divide it into 2-3 times a day.
Practice sessions should be kept fun and positive without over-correcting from us, the parent or caregiver.
My daughter is in Unit 2 and enjoying her time at the keyboard with Mr. Hoffman. He is upbeat, positive, and maybe a little quirky, but I think these are great traits when teaching children. He reminds me of my high school band instructor and quite a bit like my daughter’s elementary school music teacher so I sincerely mean “quirky” in a good way.
These lessons are not to be taken lightly. You can not simply place your child in front of a screen and expect them to learn something. You need to be present with their learning. I am even learning or refreshing myself on definitions as we go through the lessons. It is great to have the complete materials and continue practice with games and more exercises beyond the videos.
Hoffman Academy has been a fun activity for my daughter and I to do together. There is a nice overall comparison of Hoffman Academy vs. private lessons here.
I have allowed my daughter to view lessons on my Samsung Galaxy SIII. We tried my laptop initially, but I got a bit paranoid that it would fall of the keyboard. If I had a tablet, I think it would be ideal for viewing the online lessons.
To learn more about Hoffman Academy of Music, please visit their website
Hoffman Academy of Music on Facebook
Hoffman Academy of Music on YouTube
Disclosure: I received an instant download of the complete materials used in this review. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.
Great article! We are the family from San Antonio, Texas and both of our kids love talented and easy to follow Mrs. Hoffman lessons!
Thank you! I actually got to see San Antonio for the first time at the beginning of the year. My sister and her family were stationed there for three years with the air force base. I love Mr. Hoffman’s personality and enjoy hearing of your of your children’s success with his unique program.