About
Hi, I’m Valerie McInroy, owner of Play Out Loud Music Studio.
Where learning piano is easy and fun!
If any of these statements are true for you:
• I want my child to learn to play piano, but I’m afraid they will hate lessons.
• I don’t want to have to argue with my child about practicing.
• I want lessons to be worth the time and money I invest.
• My child used to enjoy playing, but they don’t anymore.
Then you’re in the right place!
Why I left “traditional” lessons behind:
I have been teaching piano lessons for over 30 years now, and I have run the gamut in terms of perfecting my teaching process. I have pursued university-level training, attended trainings, workshops, and master classes. I have practiced, studied, analyzed, and performed repertoire from beginning to advanced levels.
I have used and researched various piano methods, to find the ones that yield the most student success, and which ones work best for specific types of students. I have experimented with various lesson formats, lesson lengths, and lesson assignment amounts.
However, despite all my training and experience, it seemed that there some elusive component to student success that I was missing!
That component is TIME.
In a traditional 30-minute lesson, there is simply not enough TIME to practice with repetition or to drill those tough parts, or to help students know HOW to practice.
This is why many students dread home practice—it’s too much work!
And without time during the lesson to learn to problem-solve, students go home and end up feeling lost.
Then their next lesson arrives, and there has been little to no improvement.
How can students play with confidence if they don’t receive any guidance during practice time?
Clearly, there is a flaw in the traditional piano lesson model.
The beauty of the Accelerated Piano Program is that it solves this problem completely!
Learn More
Students learn more music each week, moving through their books faster.
Have Fun
Students have fun with piano, while learning in a way that feels easy to them.
Improves Confidence
Improves confidence and reduces anxiety, as students learn all their pieces during the lesson
Practicing Effectively
Students are practicing effectively from the very beginning
Promotes independence
Promotes independence, as students learn to self-evaluate and work through problems themselves, minimizing the need for parental supervision of practice at home
Improves Sight-Reading
Develops students who can learn music on their own easily, due to improved sight-reading skills
Piano lessons shouldn’t be a source of anxiety for students—they should look forward to coming each week!
Customized individual lesson plans are created for each student, designed to meet their musical goals while considering their unique gifts. All students are allowed to work at their own pace—no student is held back or left behind!
Meet Valerie McInroy:
Valerie’s love for the piano began in kindergarten, when she saw a real piano for the first time. She begged her parents to get one, along with a teacher to help her learn to play it.
In 2005, Valerie received her Nationally Certified Music Teacher credentials from the Music Teachers National Association, which she continues to maintain. Valerie works hard to pass on her passion for music and education, and she will never forget the pride she felt the first time one of her students decided to also pursue a music teaching career.
Valerie continues to further her music education and research to ensure that what she is teaching is up-to-date and useful to her students. She stays abreast of the current national and local trends in music education, and supports the local music and arts programs by attending and promoting concerts, recitals, and performances whenever possible.
As a music teacher, children’s advocate, and parent, Valerie works to educate the community about the positive and life-changing benefits of music study, as well as help her students achieve their full musical and personal potential.
Meet Will Baily:
My name is Will Baily, and I have been teaching music for almost 50 years! I love all styles and genres of music, and one of my favorite things to do is write songs for kids.
My favorite quote: People don’t know what they like, they like what they know. I love expanding student’s musical knowledge and appreciation and then watching them grow, both as humans and as musicians.
Besides my years of teaching experience, I also hold a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, a Masters Degrees in Music Theory & Composition, and two doctorates - one in Music Theory and Composition, and the other in Piano Performance & Pedagogy.
Fun facts: I love Mexican food, beach waves, and watching movies with dragons. I also have a big family - 6 kids, 9 grandkids, and 3 great-grandkids.