572 Legends View Drive, Eureka, St Louis MO, 63025
Instruments:Composition, Ear Training, Piano, Theory
Styles:Classical, Jazz, Kids, Electronic, Other
Levels:Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Experience:25 years
Rate:$55 / hr
Personal Statement
Piano Lessons available worldwide online by Skype. Visit www.stlouispiano.com for more information. Paul Hankin was born in England in 1967 and started taking piano lessons at the age of 8. Paul passed the highest “Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music” Piano Examination, (Grade 8), at the age of 14 and spent the next 4 years preparing for Music College entry. During this time Paul studied mainly the Classical Piano Repertoire, taking a one hour piano lesson every week, with the same piano teacher, for 10 years. At the age of 18 Paul was granted a place at the prestigious “Leeds College of Music”, which is the #1 college of music in the UK for the study of Jazz and Contemporary music. This was a practical music course as opposed to an academic course and Paul majored in “Performance and Improvisation”.
Paul Hankin G.C.L.C.M. Q.T.S.Paul excelled at Music College and was awarded the highly coveted “Classical Piano Prize” at the end of his second year. At the end of his third year Paul was awarded the College “Electronic Music Prize” for his pioneering work on Keyboards and the use of MIDI and Music Computers.
After graduating, Paul worked for 3 years as a professional musician in England covering just about every area of musical performance.
In 1991 Paul began training as a classroom music teacher and was awarded his teachers certificate in 1993 after a 2 year classroom based “Licensed Teachers Course”. Paul then went on to work as “Head of Faculty” at one of the best Private Preparatory Schools in England, teaching Classroom music to 6/13 year olds and individual piano lessons.
Paul has maintained his own successful, over subscribed, piano teaching studio since 1991, pausing only for the work he has done as a professional musician aboard cruise ships. Paul has enormous experience working with children of all ages and adults up to the age of 85!
Paul worked more recently for 5 years as a professional pianist on some of the finest Cruise Ships in the world. During his travels Paul has visited over 100 countries on all 7 Continents and worked with stars of the Stage and Screen as well as some of the worlds finest Musicians.
Specialties
I consider myself to be quite unique in the broad range of styles I am able to teach. My own training was purely Classical for the first 10 years of lessons. I studied Jazz, Improvisation and Arranging at Music College and have professional experience playing all types of music. Lessons may be individually tailored to suit the musical style preferred by the student once the musical fundamentals are in place.
I have always considered my main strength as a musician to be my musical versatility and this was the primary reason I was selected by Holland America Cruise Lines to be the pianist for their most prestigious contract – the “Grand World Voyage”.
My main strength as a teacher, by the way, is that fact that I have a natural ability to evaluate a students work and I instinctively know which areas of musicianship need to be worked on in order to give the student a well rounded musical education. When I work with a student I consider that I am helping a musician grow, not just helping someone to play “more difficult” notes on the piano.
Lesson details
Pupils taking lessons will learn to study pieces of music quickly. Each piece of music that we study should be attainable. In the early stages this means that no piece of music should take more than two weeks to learn. If a piece of music takes longer to learn than two weeks then the pupil may become discouraged thinking that the music is “too hard”. Advanced pupils may take up to 4 weeks to learn a piece of music.
If your child has suffered from having poor lessons in the past be prepared for the fact that much of the initial time spent with your new teacher may be spent undoing the damage that has been done and getting the pupil out of bad habits that they have been allowed to form. Even if your last teacher did a relatively good job of educating your child there may still be some areas of musicianship that have not been covered in enough detail and there might still be some holes in your child’s musical experience that it will be necessary to fill. This may mean going over some material that has already been covered, in the initial stages to help build a solid foundation on which real progress can be made.
A full resume is available on request.
Education / Training
Paul Hankin earned Qualified Teacher Status (Q.T.S.) in 1993 and is a graduate of the City of Leeds College of Music (G.C.L.C.M.). Paul Hankin studied Jazz and Contemporary Music and won College prizes for “Outstanding Classical Pianist” and “Outstanding Electronic Keyboard Player”. Leeds College of Music is widely held to be the best Music College in England for the study of “Jazz and Contemporary Music”. Paul Hankin was registered by the prestigious Incorporated Society of Musicians as a “Professional Private Teacher of Piano” in 1991.
Paul Hankin has a total of 7 years experience as a professional musician including 5 years as a Showband Pianist working for Holland America Cruise Line. Paul has visited around 100 countries during this time and completed the most prestigious contract in the cruise business, the Holland America “Grand World Voyage”. During this time Paul Hankin worked with stars of Broadway, the West End and the Silver Screen. Paul has 5 years experience working as a full-time teacher of Classroom music at Middle and High School levels and a further 3 years experience as Head of Music at a private preparatory school in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. Paul has nearly 25 years piano teaching experience. Paul Hankin also worked as a piano teacher for Surrey County Arts.