About us
Școala de Pian was created by pianist Lena Napradean-Enache based on performing and pedagogical experiences lived over the course of 6 years în London, within the Royal Academy of Music. The Școala de Pian concept focuses on identifying the most suitable teacher for every student. Then, building on a classical pedagogical structure which covers the essential (correct position at the piano, hand lightness, basic theory notions, the understanding of musical scores and training of basic techniques), we build each student's evolution based on their natural abilities and the direction and musical style that they wish to follow.
Each of our teachers has a speciality, be it în regards to their students' age, their preferred musical styles or their personality. Therefore our team comprises of teachers who can teach in Romanian or English, intensively towards performance or relaxed, just for hobby, regardless of age, but always with their attention turned towards the particularities and needs of each student. READ MOREMethod
Our method is based on the theory of simultaneous learning developed by the well known music pedagogue Paul Harris. Simultaneous learning refers to the capacity of a music student to develop an array of skills at the same time – technique, theory, aural skills, sight reading, improvisation, etc. Because of this, at Școala de Pian children learn to play music both by ear and by reading notation, so that they can develop their processing skills both visually and aurally. They learn technique, theory, learn to improvise and even to listen analytically to music. The material used for learning gathers the best methods from around the world – partly British, partly American and partly Australian and our teachers are trained to provide a well-rounded learning experience for each of our student, developing their unique musical voice on a strong skills base.
After 3 months
We know how the instrument works and how to recognise each key, how to sit properly at the piano and even how to improvise from the first lesson. We can move our fingers with almost complete independence and we know how to use the natural weight of the arm when pressing the piano keys. We can read simple music scores, transfer the melody from one hand to another by using the correct fingering without interrupting the rhythm and we can identify and play the shape of a melody just by listening to it.
After 6 months
We play with both hands at the same time and we tackled the first tehnical exercises – scales, arpeggios, chords – as well as the first theory notions. Our hands gain more and more independence, managing the difference between melody and accompaniment, our improvs become more interesting through the use of chords and the pieces we play become more diverse. We start using a more tehnical language when it comes to talking about music and we can play the same piece in several different ways.
After 9 months
We are strongly secure on managing rhythm and we gain more and more confidence in reading musical scores. Now we can explore extreme registers on the piano, play with more complex accompaniments for the left hand and our wrists become more flexible so that we can display larger contrasts in the sounds we make on the piano. We can read patterns rather than individual notes on the score, we extend our vocabulary and we can recognise the details of a written or heard piece of music with more ease. Our repertoire becomes more diverse and we could even participate in a piano competition for beginners.
After 1 year
We collect a lot of different pieces in our repertoire and we already know which musical styles we prefer playing. We have gathered enough knowledge to start analysing our own pianistic successes and failures and we start to understand the mechanisms we need to apply in our practice in order to get what we want. We have a close knowledge of the keyboard and we start using the piano pedals, making our pieces that much more impressive. Our theoretical knowledge starts to make its way into both the diversity of our improvs and the quality of our interpretations, while our fingers become more and more agile.
After 2 years
Our hands are now fully independent from each other and the fingers can play faster passages with increasingly less tension. We know how to use the force and weight in our arms, as well as the mobility of our fingers in order to create diverse qualities of sounds in a piece of music. Our theoretical knowledge and aural skills help us in learning pieces with ease and extending our improvs. Therefore, we start taking informed and argumented decisions in regards to how we play a piece of music and we can closely analize the music we listen to. We have a diverse repertoire, encompassing complex pieces that we study in detail and we start learning how to manage our emotions and deliver a small recital by memory.How it works
- Let's get to know each other Once you contact us here, the first conversation will be with the school founder, Lena Napradean-Enache. She will be asking a series of questions meant to shed a bit of light on who the future student is, what their aspirations are, their ready-built abilities or possible past set-backs, their pedagogical and general musical needs. Based on a detailed dialogue, she will recommend the most suitable teacher from the Scoala de Pian team.
- Meet your tutor – First lesson In accordance with your choice, your first lesson will take place in your home or at our school in Dorobanți. Through well hidden tests in convesation and play, we will test musical abilities, get a clearer glimpse of the personality of the student, their learning style, passions and preferences. Now they will also have the chance of testing whether the recommended teacher is really the best one for them. If you still won't be convinced, we can repeat the lesson with another teacher, until you find the right chemistry.
- Officialising our friendship You choose the learning package most suitable to you, according to how long you'd like your commitment to be and how many lessons you want per week. If you are still not sure on the commitment you are able to take, you can consult our policies on cancellations and make-ups here.
- Școala de Pian learning pack Once we get over the technicalities and set up a weekly lesson schedule, you receive your Școala de Pian learning pack which contains books selected according to the student's age and level, the leaning notebook and a few other surprises.
- Let’s play the piano!
200ron
1 Lesson
- 55 minutes
- To be paid for the initial assessment or for lessons outside of a subscription
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the above price
- Learning Pack and participation in events are not included
760ron
Testing
One Month
- 1 lesson (55 minutes) / week
- Spreads over 1 month, covering 4 lessons
- Free initial assessment (the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- 7% discount for the 2nd child
- Payment to be made once, at the beginning of the module
- Piano books are bought separately for 120 Ron
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the above price
650ron/month
Committed
One School Year
- 1 lesson / week (55 minutes)
- Spreads over one school year (10 months), covering 35 teaching weeks
- Payment to be made monthly, until the end of the current school year
- Free initial assessment ( the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- Free termly evaluation with Lena (30 minutes)
- Free participation in Școala de Pian concerts
- Free Școala de Pian learning pack *renewed according to progress
- 7% discount for 2nd child
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the price above
1400ron
Testing Double
One Month
- 2 lessons (55 minutes) / week
- Spreads over 1 month, covering 8 lessons
- Free initial assessment (the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- 7% discount for the 2nd child
- Payment to be made once, at the beginning of the module
- Piano books are bought separately for 120 Ron
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the above price
1150ron/month
Committed Double
One School Year
- 2 lessons / week (55 minutes)
- Spreads over one school year (10 months), covering 35 teaching weeks
- Payment to be made monthly, until the end of the current school year
- Free initial assessment ( the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- Free termly evaluation with Lena (30 minutes)
- Free participation in Școala de Pian concerts
- Free Școala de Pian learning pack *renewed according to progress
- 7% discount for 2nd child
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the price above
500ron
Testing Junior
One Month
- 1 lesson (30 minutes) / week
- Spreads over 1 month, covering 4 lessons
- Free initial assessment (the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- 7% discount for the 2nd child
- Payment to be made once, at the beginning of the module
- Piano books are bought separately for 120 Ron
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the above price
400ron/month
Committed Junior
One School Year
- 1 lesson / week (30 minutes)
- Spreads over one school year (10 months), covering 35 teaching weeks
- Payment to be made monthly, until the end of the current school year
- Free initial assessment ( the 200 Ron paid for the initial assessment will be deducted from the subscription cost)
- Free termly evaluation with Lena (30 minutes)
- Free participation in Școala de Pian concerts
- Free Școala de Pian learning pack *renewed according to progress
- 7% discount for 2nd child
- Home lessons require a 15% increase on the price above
Piano Rental
Because we know that not everybody is ready to invest in a piano from the beginning, our students have the exclusive possibility of renting a high quality digital piano with all accessories included. Rental is done for a minimum period of 3 months and it costs 300 Ron / month.