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I can't recall a time in my life when music was not an important part of it. To put that in perspective, all during my childhood, our home was filled with music. My late father was a professional musician who played in major orchestras and chamber music groups in various places throughout the country. For my brother, sister and me, music lessons were as much a part of our education as regular school was.

For any music student, regardless of the ability level, the quality and ability of the teacher is every bit as important as anything else in that student's success.

I fell in love with the piano at a very early age. I was fortunate to have as my first teacher, a woman who was not only a fabulous teacher; she was especially wonderful with children. I studied with her for about four years, and by that time, I had advanced beyond the beginning level and needed something more. My first teacher taught me how to read music, she taught me the language of music and I had my earliest music theory lessons with her. I learned tricks from her that would stay with me for years. I ultimately went to a music conservatory to do my undergraduate work and got a B. Music degree.

I outgrew several teachers over the course of the many years that I studied piano. Most of the teachers I had after I left my first teacher were professional pianists in their own right. Sometimes that had a big impact on the level of patience they had with a young kid. I also had a teacher who was used to teaching college age students who were enrolled in a music conservatory.

The best teacher I had during that time was a Viennese woman who though a professional in her own right, taught young kids more than she performed. She had no kids of her own, but truly loved teaching and sharing her love of music. She was a rare combination of a good teacher and a good professional pianist. I enjoyed studying with her very much, but I stopped studying around my junior year in high school so that I could concentrate on my school work and the AP classes I wanted to take to boost my credentials for college.

I often worked on my own, and I practiced every day. By the time I got to music school, it was necessary to practice for several hours each day. Every time I outgrew a teacher, however, there was another teacher who was capable providing me with the instruction I needed at the next phase.

Although I believe that it is perfectly acceptable for anyone who studies piano to work on their own, I believe that the work

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