Northern Classical Piano Studio

I was very grateful to receive these kind words from a beginner adult student about his online piano lessons with me. ❤

''I've thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with Marissa. She is an exceptional and passionate teacher. The planning, thought, and care she puts into our lessons is unlike anything I've experienced.'' - Anand C.S., United States

It really is a joy to teach and connect with students from all around the world!

www.northernclassical.com

Sometimes, taking the first step towards a dream is the hardest part. ❤

Right now, all around the world, adult beginners of all ages are experiencing the joy of learning to play classical piano and the freedom of expressing themselves through music! Is this your dream, too?

It’s never too late to start learning the piano. Send me a message if you’re ready to take that first step or find out more at: https://www.northernclassical.com

Online piano lessons for children and adult beginners | Northern Classical Piano Studio Online classical piano lessons for children and adult beginners. Develop a strong musical foundation with engaging, inspiring lessons. Audiation-based piano lessons and injury-free piano technique. Meet your teacher: Marissa Håkansson.

A PEEK INSIDE MY PIANO STUDIO

I've always loved being in spaces that feel calm and inspiring, and so I’ve thought carefully when it comes to my piano studio. My piano studio is actually just one side of my living room in my apartment, however I do my best to cultivate a nourishing environment for both teaching and practicing.

I mostly teach online, so an overhead camera plus a laptop to the side of my piano allows my students to view their lesson from two angles. Those students have the benefit of learning on their own instrument, from the comfort of their home with no travel time, plus recorded lessons to rewatch as many times as they need.

I like to keep the music scores and teaching resources that I use most often on a bookshelf close by to the piano, so they are easy to access.

My kitchen table doubles as my desk, which I use for lesson planning, writing practice assignments for my younger students, as well as my own reflective journal writing or note-taking after time at the piano.

I have inspirational quotes nearby to keep my mindset positive and dreams in sight. I also have personal photos on my bookshelf that remind me of the people who have helped me to be where I am today on my musical journey.

I believe that the spaces we live, learn, and work in play a significant role in how we feel about ourselves, our piano practice, and our ability to move forward towards our goals in music and life.

What do you do (or could you do) to create an inspiring and nurturing space for your piano practice? ❤

Listening to live classical music is an experience I wish for every human being on this earth, of every age and from every walk of life. For those that it touches, it can have a profound and lasting impact.

I was reflecting on this last night, after I had the privilege of listening to a stunning program of chamber music performed by a piano trio from our region (consisting of piano, cello, and violin). I walked away from the concert feeling fulfilled in my heart, enlivened in my spirit, and inspired as a musician.

Attending this concert felt particularly meaningful. It was held in a beautiful old church that has family significance (my father grew up in the area and my grandparents are buried in the churchyard). The day also happened to be the anniversary of my mother's death. The theme of the concert was 'spirit music', and allowing the music to flow over and through me felt both healing and hopeful. I was expecting a flood of tears, but to my pleasant surprise, my heart felt lighter and freer.

You see, classical music becomes intricately personal. The more we listen, the deeper it weaves itself into every inch of our being, perhaps to parts of ourselves we didn't even know existed. The music starts speaking to us directly. It so elegantly and powerfully captures the complexity of life: the struggles and joys of being human. For me, hearing this music live is incredibly enriching.

As I looked around at the faces of my fellow audience members last night, and joined in the warm and appreciative applause for the musicians, I knew that I was not the only one who felt this way. Experiences like this only strengthen my belief that classical music is a force for good. I wondered to myself: how might our world change for the better if every person (young and old) had the opportunity to experience the power and beauty of live classical music? ❤️

www.northernclassical.com

I sing in a church choir, and this last weekend we had the pleasure of performing for a small but appreciative congregation. I find enormous joy in singing with others! But it also had me reflecting on how deeply valuable singing can be when learning the piano. I wish I had known when I was younger just how much singing helps us to develop our musical senses and ability to audiate (that is, to hear and understand music internally).

I’ve had the privilege of learning from gifted teachers who have taught me this, and my pedagogical studies have sparked a passion for actively using the voice in piano lessons. It is a fundamental part of all piano lessons I teach to young children (and for my beginner adults when they are willing)! I also use the voice as a tool in my own piano practice.

We don't need to have an amazing voice to reap the rewards. It is more about active listening, learning to hear inwardly, and connecting that with our outer musical expression.

My students learn to explore musical patterns and ideas through the voice before applying it to the piano. Their musical understanding becomes embodied before they bring those ideas to life on their instrument. It also happens to be an incredibly fun way to learn!

As musicians, we never stop learning. I walk away from every choir rehearsal feeling bathed in new sounds and musical experiences. Then, when I am back at the piano, I hear the echoes of my own teacher's words in my mind, igniting my musical imagination with the question: what would this sound like if you were to sing it?

www.northernclassical.com

One of my passions as a piano teacher is helping my students to develop a solid technique from their earliest lessons. I describe technique as the way we move at the piano (our whole body, arms, and hands) in order to create the sounds we want. Good technique not only supports us in playing to the best of our abilities, but it also ensures that we play injury-free.

I have learnt that playing-related discomfort and injury is far more common than one might imagine, for both professional and amateur pianists of all levels. And that knowledge of healthy movement at the piano, and how to teach or learn it, is not always readily available to pianists, piano teachers, or piano students. I wish it were!

Personally, I experienced injury at the piano as both a child and adult. I only realised with hindsight that my childhood injury stemmed from an underdeveloped technique. As an adult, I was lucky to have access to teachers who helped me to retrain my technique from the ground up, so that I could learn to apply healthy movement at the piano.

Now, as a teacher, I am dedicated to sharing the knowledge and skills I’ve learnt. Developing healthy technique takes time, patience, and reassurance, but the long-term results are worth the effort! Some of my students have come to me specifically to work on their piano technique. Here is a testimonial I received from the parent of one of my young students:

''Marissa has very patiently taught piano technique to my 14-year-old son. She has been pedagogical, encouraging, and always positive. The communication between me as the guardian and Marissa has worked perfectly and I can warmly recommend her.'' - Sara S., Sweden

Whether my students are children or adult beginners, it is a delight to help them discover how they can move with greater ease at the piano. My wish is to see more pianists not only avoid playing-related injuries, but develop a technique that will support them through a lifetime of enjoyment at the piano! ❤

Music is for everyone. Do you have music inside of you, waiting to be expressed? ❤

It is so rewarding to teach young children the piano: to see their musical skills and love of playing the piano develop! I often reflect on my own early years of learning music: the skills and experiences that I am grateful for, as well as the skills and experiences that I wish I'd had. These reflections have fueled my passion for teaching the piano and directed my personal study in understanding how children learn music.

I want to give the children I teach the best start possible: providing them with a foundation of core musical skills, igniting their imaginations, nurturing their confidence as musicians, and creating a musical environment that will enable their love of music to flourish.

I recently heard from the parent of one of my young piano students. He shared the following:

''Marissa has been giving piano lessons to my 6-year-old for the last 5 months. Conducting lessons online, especially for a young child, has the potential to be challenging, but Marissa is such an engaging teacher that it is like the lesson is in-person! Marissa keeps my son motivated, while at the same time progressively building up both musical and technical skills. Her lessons are providing him with an absolutely solid foundation to play the piano or really any other instrument in the future.'' - David W., Sweden

It fills my heart to know that I can help this student and other young musicians at their early stages of learning! ❤

www.northernclassical.com

Thank you to Radio Krokom for inviting me to speak about teaching the piano and my passion for classical music! In the interview, you'll hear about my first experiences with classical music, my thoughts about who classical music is for, what it's like to teach piano to children and adult beginners, and more! The interview is in Swedish. ❤️

Marissa Håkansson flyttade från Australien till Ås i Krokoms kommun. Där startade hon sin mission att lära folk från när och fjärran att spela piano.
Klicka på länken och lyssna när hon berättar om sin passion för klassisk musik.

https://radiokrokom.se/ljudfiler/Formidda/Marissa_Hakansson_R.mp3

I first fell in love with classical music through my childhood ballet classes. The elegant movements of ballet, combined with beautiful music, is an art form that continues to inspire me to this day. My love of ballet has significantly influenced how I think about classical music.

To me, music IS movement. Dancers create lines, shapes and articulations with their bodies to express a variety of moods, emotions, and ideas. They move at different tempos and levels of intensity. They embody the music they are dancing to.

When I listen to classical music, or when I'm learning a new piece on the piano, I find myself imagining the music as a dance or a kaleidoscope of movement: following the lines of a melody, breathing with the music, sensing the ebbs and flows as if the music was in physical form.

When we play a musical instrument, our ability to feel the music in our body is so important. It helps us take what we read on the page and bring it to life with musicality and meaning. That's why movement is an integral part of early childhood music education. It helps children to understand and internalise music more fully.

I am so grateful for my early experiences with movement and classical music. And as a piano teacher who teaches beginners of all ages, I aim to help my students to find that connection between movement and music in their own bodies. I know it will help them develop into the musicians they want to be.

www.northernclassical.com

There was a time in my life when I couldn’t listen to music. I was sick and burned out. I felt fragile, and I desperately craved quiet.

When I did start listening again, I needed music that invited peace and stillness: sounds to rest in, where the beauty of what I heard wrapped me in a gentle embrace. I turned to classical music, and it saved me. Slowly, it brought me back to life.

Not a day goes by when I am not in awe of the power of classical music. It reaches the depths of our hearts and souls in a way that almost nothing else can. Its beauty expresses what cannot be put into words, comforts us in our suffering, and brings hope.

The late poet John O'Donohue wrote “listening to music renews the heart...It frees a space to let in lightness.” I couldn't agree more. Can you imagine a world without music? I cannot.

If you would like to dive into a soundscape of classical music that invites peace and stillness, I have three listening suggestions for you. Find them on your music streaming service or listen to a preview of the recordings via the links below. ❤

Berceuse in D flat major, Op.57 B.154 (Frédéric Chopin) https://app.idagio.com/recordings/24326090

Im Abendrot, D.799, Arr. for Violoncello and Piano (Franz Schubert)
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/43140465?trackId=43140461

Prelude in B flat major, Op.11 No.21 (Alexander Scriabin)
https://app.idagio.com/recordings/19856538?trackId=19856655

www.northernclassical.com

My grandfather was gifted at playing the piano by ear, but he never learned to read music. On his 90th birthday, he told me that his one regret in life was not taking piano lessons and pursuing his passion for music.

He loved classical music. As I spent time with him in his final years, he was often eager for me to listen to music or a performer he had discovered, or he would ask me to play the piano for him. He was the person who I had shared my lifelong dream with: a dream of pursuing my piano studies seriously and returning to teach music. I followed that dream, and with the support of wonderful teachers, it has been the best decision of my life.

As we start the new year, it is a good time to reflect on our dreams, both old and new. Sometimes we let go of dreams, and other times we revive a dream that has been burning in our heart for years, or even a lifetime. I know that I don't want to get to the end of my life and feel regret in my heart. As author Lewis Carroll stated: “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take.”

I have availability to take new piano students in 2024, both online (worldwide) or face-to-face in Ås, Jämtland, Sweden. I teach children and adult beginners, and specialise in healthy piano technique that prevents injury. If your heart is calling you (or someone you know) to learn the piano, I would be thrilled to help.

Feel free to share this post — it will help me to help others! ❤

www.northernclassical.com