Myhan Music Student Testimonials
Emerson (Student) and Heather (Mom)
Emerson, age 6, is learning piano. She loves playing her favorite Disney songs, and is uncommonly self-motivated for her age. Here’s her musical story so far as told by her mom, Heather.
How It Started
With an increasingly busy schedule, I was seeking a piano teacher who could come to the house for lessons. Our neighbor recommended Mickey and I thought we’d give him a try.
How It’s Going
Emerson has only been with Mickey a couple of months, and she’s made remarkable progress.
In Emerson’s Words
“I really like how Mickey helps me learn songs without the music. He is also really nice!”
Learning with Michael (a.k.a. Mickey)
Mickey has proven to be skilled, knowledgeable, and patient. My daughter is quite shy and Mickey does a wonderful job helping her feel comfortable during the lessons. He is positive, offering praise and encouragement when needed!
Mickey is a natural teacher. When asking questions, he waits (and waits more!) for a response, instead of assuming Emerson doesn’t know the answer. Often she’s able to provide an answer, and he understands she just needs a little extra time to get an answer out.
What I love the most, is that Mickey doesn’t talk down to Emerson. She’s only six, but he speaks to her in a way he would a student of any age, imparting knowledge that he deems she’s ready for. He doesn’t “dumb it down” for her and I really appreciate that.
Alex Robbins
Singer-Songwriter
“Michael guided me toward the musical style I always wanted to play. If you’re serious about learning guitar or writing your own songs, you should definitely take lessons with him. He’s awesome.”
How it Started
I started playing guitar at 10, but it didn’t really stick. I tried learning on YouTube at 18, but when I was referred to Michael, everything changed.
Before Michael, I was just recording over YouTube beats. He showed me how to add guitar to my songs and helped me create a raw, emotional sound that feels more like me.
We work on guitar, and he also helps me produce music for my Spotify. He’s really helped me grow as a singer-songwriter.
How Michael Teaches
“Michael teaches differently.
My other teachers just had me play the same songs over and over. Michael focused on music theory so I could understand how to write and build my own music.
I was nervous about theory at first, but now I feel confident, and it’s completely changed how I write.
Michael is patient and he makes sure you understand. He doesn’t just talk at you like some teachers do.
Truman (10), Griffin (13) & Lincoln (14)
Even in musical families, parents often entrust their children’s musical education to others. (As you can imagine, some kids would rather not learn from their mom and dad!)
Learning with Michael
Our family has been working with Michael for 2–3 years. All three of my sons—Lincoln (14), Griffin (13), and Truman (10)—take piano lessons with him, and Truman also studies guitar. We first heard about Michael through a referral, and we’re so glad we did.
Michael has an incredible way of connecting with kids. He doesn’t just teach them notes—he helps them understand how music is built, which is such a valuable skill. He explains songwriting and composition in a way they really get. If they ask to play a song he’s never heard, he learns it on the spot and plays a demonstration. His talent is incredible.
In Truman’s Words
My youngest, Truman, says it best: ‘Michael really cares about your preferences. He wants you to have fun and keep learning, and enjoy it. He’s really kind, even when I mess up or don’t understand something. I never feel bad, and I’m always learning new things.’
A Musician’s Verdict
As parents, my husband and I also play music (we’re in a classic rock garage band), so we know what a gift it is to have a teacher like Michael. He’s helped our boys grow so much, and they love their lessons with him. We can’t recommend him enough!
Ellie & Esther (Both Students)
A musical journey shared by mother & daughter
Ellie’s Review (by Ellie herself)
I like Mickey because he knows everything about music. He always wants me to tell him if I don’t understand something or if I am having trouble with something. I like how whenever I finish learning a song he lets me pick the new song. It is so interesting that he can play so many instruments. Mickey is very talented.
–Ellie, age 8
Esther’s Review
I was forced as a young child to take years of piano lessons. While I am grateful now to be able to read music, I never connected with the method of learning or the music being learned. I was forced to precisely render classical pieces using sheet music and a metronome and then compete with other students to see who could most exactly recreate the piece.
I wanted my daughter to learn how to play the piano as it is such a valuable life skill. I did not want her to learn the way I did. I wanted her to love music and be able to express herself through music. Mickey is exactly what I was looking for. We are both learning how to play the music we connect with in a way that works for us. I love Mickey’s flexibility in going back and forth from learning and writing arrangements by ear to reading from music. Both are such valuable skills!
Like Ellie said, we love Mickey! He knows EVERYTHING about music! I can honestly say that in my entire life I have never been so impressed by the talents of a musician.
–Esther Windebank, adult student & mother of Ellie
Ryan (Student) & Penelope (Mom)
Many students have already studied music for quite awhile before we meet. Here’s one of their stories, as told by my 13 year-old student Ryan and his mom, Penelope.
Ryan’s Musical Background
My son Ryan’s music journey started when he was a baby with Music Together classes for 2 years. Despite that, he had never shown an interest in music. Nevertheless, I started him on piano lessons at age 4.5.
It was hard to motivate him. The last teacher he was with taught the classes over Zoom due to Covid. They had good rapport, and worked on pieces he picked out, like Unity by The Fat Rats, but he did not learn much of music theory or playing by ear.
Ryan was technically very good, but he labored through his practices and classes, and was never very motivated to play on his own. I felt it was time for him to play, not for others, but for himself.
Learning with Michael
I wanted Ryan to find his own joy and inspiration in music. I found Michael through referral and relayed our hopes to Michael over the phone. He was very patient and understanding, and agreed to do his best to align the lessons to this plan.
Since then, Michael has helped Ryan explore and appreciate different genres of music. They take time to talk and chat about the music and techniques more thoroughly, which helps Ryan understand a lot more of the music, rather than only focusing on playing. He has been much more eager to practice on his own as a result.
In Ryan’s words: “Michael showed me many aspects of piano that I never knew existed; I feel that I finally have a full experience of piano. He taught me better and faster ways to learn songs.”
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