Effective Teacher

I’ve recently started taking piano lessons.  How I came to start them is a story in itself.  I was just having a casual conversation with a friend who is a musician.  I mentioned that one instrument I’ve always wanted to learn to play is the piano.  I said maybe someday I’ll treat myself to lessons.  The friend responded with the questions “Why someday?  What are you waiting for?”  I didn’t have a good answer, so…  Here I am taking lessons!  But what I really meant to discuss in this post is my piano tutor.  He’s a very effective teacher for two key reasons.  First of all, he’s very patient.  But the other reason is that he gives a very good blend of positive reinforcement and specific constructive criticism.  He gives a very even mix of the two.  For every compliment, I get told a very clear area to work on improving.  It is just such a pleasure to learn from someone who is so effective at teaching.  Given the fact I found this tutor by answering an ad on craigslist, I really lucked out.