Amy Riggs's Piano Studio

The Blackbird Academy
2806 Azalea Place, Nashville

Hi! I am a piano teacher in Germantown, TN who loves helping students grow in confidence, creativity, and musical skill.

Lessons are fun, encouraging, and personalized to each student, so they can enjoy music while building a strong foundation. Teacher Pledge: It is my responsibility as the teacher to teach the discipline, language, and joy of making music at the piano. I will strive to provide a supportive, positive learning environment for each student. The curriculum will be tailored to support each student’s ind

ividual learning and musical needs. In order to provide the most effective teaching possible, the following policies have been established below. Lessons: Lessons are held once a week in 30 minutes sessions at my home in Germantown, TN. Lessons incorporate a variety of elements including, but not limited to theory, technique and artistry, performance skills, and games that reinforce the concepts. Tuition and Scheduling: Tuition covers time spent with students, preparation time, teacher training and experience, recital costs and preparations, and studio expenses. Tuition is a flat rate charge of $120 that is paid by the month. The tuition paid reserves an exclusive weekly time for the student. Unlike certain other professions, I cannot resell that time nor can I create extra teaching time in which to give lessons. You are therefore requested to choose a lesson day/time which works consistently with you/your child’s schedule. If a permanent conflict arises with this lesson time, please feel free to contact me to discuss alternate arrangements. I am happy to work with you to ensure a weekly lesson time that complements both of our schedules. Monthly tuition late payment penalty: All monthly tuition payments are due by the 1st day of each month. Any payment received after the 5th, will be charged a $10.00 late payment penalty. Payment Methods: Venmo (@amyriggs), Paypal Friends and Family ([email protected]), check made out to Amy Riggs, or cash. Makeup Lessons:

Students are allowed 2 makeup lessons per school semester for any reason, and 2 during the summer semester for any reason. Any absences above this will not be made up. No credits or refunds will be issued for missed lessons. Students are allowed to do a zoom or facetime lesson in his or her normal time slot for circumstances not limited to but including if the student is ill/contagious but feels well enough to play, the student does not have a ride, or if inclement weather prevents students from traveling. These lessons do not count towards the two makeup lessons. If you must miss, lessons may be made up in the following ways:
*Saturday makeup lessons at my convenience.
*Lesson swap: Students may swap lesson times with another student or do a makeup in a time where another opening may be available. If the teacher cancels the lesson it will be made up or compensated. Holidays and Breaks: The studio will typically follow the Germantown Public School Calendar for major holidays. The following Holidays and breaks will be observed: Spring Break, 1 week summer vacation of my choice, Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break (full week), Christmas Break
(two weeks). Withdrawal Notice: Any student who wishes to withdraw from the studio must give a 30 day notice or pay 1 month of tuition upon leaving. Practicing:
Regular practice time should be set aside for at least four-five days a week to ensure progress. A suggested practice time will be given to each student based on their experience level. Incentives are provided by the teacher if the student meets his or her goals each week. Instrument:
To ensure that the student gets the best possible experience from their lessons and to experience the best results in the long run, it is recommended that the student have a full-sized, 88-key instrument at home that is in good working condition. Acoustic pianos must have no sticking keys, and at least the far right foot pedal (the damper pedal) must be in working condition. The piano must be tuned at least once per year, but twice is recommended due to the drastic climate changes present in the area. A digital piano or keyboard with 88-full sized weighted keys may prove to be a good option as well. These pianos do not have to be tuned, and generally come with the option of headphones, which can allow the student to practice more privately. Music Purchases:
Music Purchases are the responsibility of the student/parent. I will recommend certain books based upon the level of the student and their goals as a student. Students are always welcome to give input on the types of music they desire to learn, and I will do my best to work with those requests depending on availability of the music and if the student is at the proper level of the available music. Performance Opportunities:
I believe that an important process of learning to play the piano is being able to share the things you’ve learned with others. Therefore, I provide several opportunities for my students to share what they have learned with friends and families. I schedule two recitals per year, one Christmas recital in the month of December, as well as a Spring recital in April/May. Students are not required to participate in these recitals, but participation is highly recommended, as it stretches the student in ways they can not be stretched during a private lesson.

06/11/2026

I’m back from travels and ready to make some music! ✈️ 🎹✨ Lessons start back TODAY — and I still have a few summer spots open!

Looking for a fun summer activity? Choose any 6 half-hour lessons between now and July 31st. Ages 3 and up! 🎶

Whether you want to give your kid something to brag about come fall, refresh skills you’ve been missing, or finally check “learn piano” off your bucket list — now’s the perfect time to go for it! 🙌

Photos from Amy Riggs's Piano Studio's post

06/01/2026

Hey friends! 👋 For those who are new here, let me introduce myself, and for those who have been around for while maybe you’ll learn something new about me!

Hi, I’m Amy! My passion for making and sharing music began as a child, and I love bringing that to life in my studio and beyond! I believe music is something to be enjoyed on a personal level and shared with others. 🎵🎹

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Mississippi State University, and while piano is my primary instrument, I also dabble in guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and bass, and enjoy singing whenever life allows! 🎸🎶

When I am not teaching at home or with my Kindermusik w/Musik Adventures preschool friends, you maybe find me embracing what the kids call my “grandma hobbies”—gardening, baking, keeping my sourdough starter alive, and crafting of all sorts. I also love a good thrift store or garage sale haul! 🪴🍪🥖🧵

Above all, I’m someone who loves her people and her pets. Whether it’s hosting get-togethers or just spending quality time with family, friends, and fur babies, community and belonging mixed with a lot of creativity is at the heart of everything I do. I’m so glad you’re here — can’t wait to share this space with you! 🎶✨

05/29/2026

Summer is in full swing and the kids have had a blast doing a Summertime Blues Improv this week! Check out Elle and her creative riffs! 🎹💙🎵

05/27/2026

After learning the C five finger scale on the staff yesterday, our magnetic people were strategically balanced on one limb as we found the same steps on the magnetic board. 🎼 🤸‍♀️

Also pictured…Booger the cat…resident supervisor of all things piano. Sure to be found in my lap or sitting next to the kiddos. 🎶 😻🎹

Spring Flower Pot Piano Games Bundle | Notes, Keys, Finger Numbers & Rhythm

05/19/2026

🌸 NEW in my shop! 🌸

My Beginner Flower Pot Piano Bundle is here — and it’s blooming with fun! 🎹🪴

This hands-on bundle is perfect for beginner piano students and includes:🌼 Letter & Key Matching🌼 Finger Number Matching🌼 Steps & Skips Activities🌼 Notes & Rests Practice

These colorful flower-themed games make music theory engaging, interactive, and easy for little learners to understand!

🎉 To celebrate the launch, the bundle is currently 20% OFF for a limited time!

Perfect for:✔️ Piano teachers✔️ Music classrooms✔️ Preschool music✔️ Homeschool lessons

Grab it here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Flower-Pot-Piano-Games-Bundle-Notes-Keys-Finger-Numbers-Rhythm-16395038

Spring Flower Pot Piano Games Bundle | Notes, Keys, Finger Numbers & Rhythm Bring springtime fun into your piano lessons with this engaging Flower Pot Piano Matching Games Bundle! Designed especially for beginner piano students, this hands-on collection of music theory activities helps students build foundational skills through creative matching and play.Students will love....

05/18/2026

Our Spring piano recital was one for the books! 🎹✨

I could not be more proud of these students. They played beautifully, showed so much confidence, and handled every surprise like true performers.

Central Church has graciously allowed us to use their choir room for our recitals for years. For some reason, maybe a different placement of the piano or stronger air flow on this particular day, we fought with air blowing the kids sheet music off the piano. 💨🥴

But these kids? Total troopers. They kept going, adapted so well, and still gave amazing performances. Watching their hard work, courage, and musical growth shine was such a joy.

Thank you to all of our families for supporting these students and cheering them on. And thank you air conditioner for reminding us that live music is never boring. 🎶🤪

05/17/2026

Recital day!

05/16/2026

Weekend Roundup! 🎶🤠

This past year I have been working with Kindermusik w/Musik Adventures, going into preschools across the city and doing music classes with their littles. (PSA: Check out the summer classes for your preschoolers 😎🎵)

Something about working with preschoolers has brought out more of my silly, creative side and some of that has been transferring over into the piano studio.

I’ve seen how when creativity, imagination, and play are incorporated more into learning, there can be such fun added to each lesson and students become more engaged.

After saying “play it again” over and over again through the years, I thought it could be fun to find different ways to play the song or a piece of the song…again…enter…”Play it Again” cards. Each card has a different way to play the song by adding, dynamics, articulation, tempo, or imagination to the the way the song is played.

Sometimes this means playing it really fast like a race car, really slow like a sloth, really bouncy like a bunny, or like a dinosaur is chasing you (use your imagination). After I made the first set, it became fun to hear them ask, “Can you make one that says…” 😆❤️

So many suggestions have come to life in the form of a card and then in the way they express the music on the piano.

You can see the beginnings of my ideas here. Follow along to see what’s next or drop a comment of what you need as a teacher or parent.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/imagination-music-co

In the meantime, enjoy the photo dump from this week including celebrating Ms. Heidi’s birthday, matching keys to the staff with magnetic people, and discovering our cards coming to life! 🥳🎉

05/12/2026

Today was Rivers’s first piano lesson! 🎹

She practiced the “I’m great pose” to learn great piano posture and even took it to the next level by balancing a stuffy on her head. 🐸

Safe to say she absolutely nailed it. 🎶