I'm sooooooooo excited and scared at the same time. I will have my first piano lesson in 35 years or more on this Friday. I found the teacher on the internet and we just had a long conversation. He seems imminently qualified and extremely affable. His name is Dr. Adam Alesander. Look him up on the internet if you have a chance and let me know what you think. I'm so happy to find a teacher that I'm shaking. Here is one paragraph from his bio:

Born in Edmonton, Canada, Adam Aleksander has been performing to the acclaim of audiences worldwide since his debut with orchestra at the age of fourteen with the Chopin Piano Concerto in E Minor. He has studied with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Regina Smendzianka at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, and Jim Bonn at the University of Southern California. He has performed at festivals in Tokyo, Tours, Atami, Orford, Quebec, Interlochen, Michigan, Cleveland, Miami, Slupsk as well as Antonin, Poland.

What do you think?

How many limbs will it cost you per lesson?

Let's see how if possible he could "improve" your playing. And it will be a pleasure to hear you progress with the lessons.

I'm so happy for you, John! Don't worry, you won't be scared long. Good teachers know how to put you at ease, and he certainly seems to meet anyone's definition of a "good teacher." Have lots of fun!

Whoa John, that is a big step ! And you've caught a big fish to start with. I've heard this name before, he seems a very good pianist indeed. It will be strange at first to have lessons again after so many years - I experienced exactly the same some years ago. But I am sure you will enjoy it lots, as I did (after shedding my initial pigheadedness ).

I'm curious to hear what course your lessons wil take. Will they be about technical issues, or interpretation, or both, will he want you to play excercises, etc.

Thanks for your support. Tomorrow is my first lesson. Dr. Aleksander and I had a very pleasant conversation and he seemed to be able to put me at ease. As I've mentioned to some of you, I have a serious issue with "stagefright." I can't even play while my piano tuner is in the room. I told this to my new teacher and he believes we can deal with it. He told me to bring the Brahms Rhapsodies, some Beethoven, and anything else I want. He has already mentioned technique (scales, arpeggios, etc) which I have always thought to be important although I've neglected them. I just hope he realizes that at my age, I don't have as much time as most students.

Well your biography picture shows otherwise