Today we’d like to introduce you to Sivan Etedgee.
Sivan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first started playing piano quite by accident: when I was 10 years old, some neighborhood friends were going abroad for a year and needed a home for their piano. So, we wheeled the baby grand down the hill to our house and I began lessons shortly thereafter. I took lessons for a few years without taking it all that seriously. As a teenager, thanks to an inspiring teacher, I became intensely interested in classical music. I listened to everything I could find—in these pre-YouTube days, mind you, that meant many trips to the public library—and began spending hours at the piano.
I started teaching in high school. My first “student” was a friend who tutored me in geometry in exchange for piano lessons. I taught piano while I was an undergraduate music major at the University of New Hampshire, and then took a brief break from teaching after I moved to Boston to work towards my Master’s of Music in Piano Performance at Boston University. Right after receiving my degree in 2005, I threw myself into teaching again. After working for schools and music stores, I have built up my own piano studio, and now teach most of my students at my home in West Newton.
Another important aspect of being a musician is studying, practicing, and performing. I am active in local music-teacher organizations, which are a wonderful way to stay connected with colleagues, and offer many opportunities to sharpen my teaching skills. I am always trying to improve my own playing, and I have kept up my studies with some wonderful teachers in Boston and beyond who are themselves world-famous pianists. I play concerts throughout the year, which requires me to stay disciplined and practice several hours per day. Some of my concerts are solo piano recitals, and some are chamber music concerts in which I collaborate with many wonderful colleagues. Whether I am teaching or performing, my greatest passion is to share music with others, and I feel so lucky that I am able to make my living this way.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the great challenges of being a pianist is finding an instrument of one’s own. Navigating the housing scene in Boston is difficult enough without a piano. In the beginning, I was definitely limited by the need to rent studio space for practicing and teaching. Once I finally did acquire a piano, I discovered that my neighbors in an apartment might not enjoy 4+ hours of daily practicing! Ultimately my wife and I were able to buy a small single family home, which has been a game-changer for my career. I now have a two-year-old son, and my latest challenge is juggling practicing, child-care, teaching, performing, and family life.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I teach piano lessons to students who range in age from 5 to adult. Each student has different goals and abilities, and I encourage each student to develop in their own way. As well as giving them each a weekly lesson, I organize group classes, recitals, and concerts at local retirement communities – this way, the students have many opportunities to share music with others, both in their own families and with the public. Parents often tell me that their “child isn’t going to be a concert pianist, we just want them to have fun.” There is no need to worry about whether or not their child will be a concert pianist – every child deserves high-quality music lessons! While some of my more ambitious students have been awarded prizes in competitions, participated in music festivals, and successfully auditioned for college music programs, most manage to be serious about their studies while also participating in a slew of other activities—swimming, Russian math, ice hockey…you name it. I’m constantly in awe of how much these remarkable kids manage to juggle in their own lives!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sivanpiano.com
- Phone: 617-795-0792
- Email: sivanpiano@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sivanpiano/
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