Betty Smith's Music Studio
Piano lessons in Olathe with Betty Todd Smith, NCTM, for students from preschool age up. A year of private and group lessons, two recitals, and a teacher trained in the Suzuki approach.
Olathe, Kansas, lessons in person (preferred) or online by Zoom.
How the lesson year works
The lesson year runs from June to May.
- Jun
- Aug
- Oct
- Nov
- Jan
- Mar
- May
- Jul
- Sep
- Dec
- Feb
- Apr
Twelve months, twelve keys: one octave, June on the C and May on the B.
- 33private lessons
- 5group lessons
- 2recitals
Tuition covers 38 lessons a year, 33 private and 5 group, from June to May. It is divided into 12 equal monthly payments, for convenience.
A calendar of lesson weeks, group lesson weeks, holiday breaks and activities goes to every student in June and is updated in September.
Rates are not published here. Ask about them, and about current openings, in your first email.
What lessons cover
Students play solo pieces from the classics, folk tunes, jazz, sacred and popular music. The group lessons carry the rest: basic theory, music history and appreciation, ensemble playing, sight-reading, improvisation, transposition and harmonization.
Every student gets a binder for lesson notes and assignments. Parents who don't sit in on lessons are asked to check it each week, since that is where messages from the teacher go.
Practice at home
Piano is a physical skill, so the studio asks for practice at least five days a week. Quality counts for more than minutes, but as a guide:
| Student | Typical daily practice |
|---|---|
| Preschool | About 20 minutes, often as two 10 minute sessions |
| Elementary | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Junior high and up | 45 to 90 minutes or more |
"Only practice on the days you eat!"
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, as quoted in the studio's policies
Playing for others
Students perform in group lessons, in two recitals each school year, and in auditions run by music teacher organizations (MTNA, KMTA, KCMTA and KC NFMC). Most of those auditions are non-competitive. Participation is encouraged, but never forced.
About Betty Todd Smith
Betty teaches both Suzuki and traditional piano, and has Suzuki training through all piano levels from institutes in the United States and Canada. In Tulsa she founded and directed the piano and preschool music programs at the Tulsa Institute for Music Education, a Suzuki-based school, and ran the music program at Undercroft Montessori School for eight years. In the Kansas City area she has taught piano and Musikgarten at Agape Montessori, Small Beginnings and Pembroke Hill.
She also judges piano auditions for organizations around the country, and gives lectures, master classes and workshops for other teachers.
- DegreesBA in Piano Performance, Abilene Christian University. MM in Piano Performance, Arizona State University.
- CertificationPermanent Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), Music Teachers National Association
- ServiceFormer District One President, Kansas Music Teachers Association
- MembershipsKansas City Music Teachers Association; Federated Music Teachers of Kansas City
- RecognitionSteinway Top Teacher Award, 2016 and 2021. Power of a Piano Teacher recognition, Frances Clark Center, 2022.
- Early childhoodTrained in Kindermusik, Musikgarten and Music Mind Games
"Betty Smith was the best piano teacher our daughter ever had."
Susan M., a parent from Tulsa, on LessonRating
The studio
- The studio piano
- A group lesson
- Recital day
Photographs to come.
Ask about openings
Send a short email with the student's age, any piano they have already had, and whether you would prefer lessons in person or on Zoom.
- bsmithmusicstudio@gmail.com
- Phone
- (913) 492-0083
- Where
- Olathe, Kansas 66061, or online by Zoom
The studio is in a private home, so the address is shared once lessons are arranged.