Kerry Hanley

About

Simply Music is a remarkable, Australian- developed piano and keyboard program that offers a breakthrough in music education.

In stark contrast to traditional methods that require students to learn music-reading as the means of learning to play, Simply Music temporarily delays music-reading and introduces a revolutionary, 'playing-based' methodology.

For centuries, traditional methods have required that students learn to read music as the means of learning how to play. The sad result is that this 'read first, play later' approach is slow and frustrating.

Expecting students to read music before they have learned how to play, is like expecting children to read and spell before they have learned how to talk! In fact, we all talked for years before we learned how to read and spell.

Similarly, the Simply Music programme temporarily delays the music reading process. Beginning students, with no need to have their attention on music reading, are free to relate directly to the piano. Within months, they experience a real freedom with their playing and develop a deep connection to their instrument as they build an extraordinary repertoire

Unlike learning by rote, this program is tactile, experiential and multi-sensory, with students being physically, visually and aurally absorbed. After building a repertoire of 35 to 50 pieces covering a broad range of musical styles, students go on to learn Simply Music's unique approach to reading music, as well as develop a powerful foundation for learning the more formal aspects of music education.

As one of the most experienced teachers of this programme, Kerry Hanley is an Advanced Teacher and a Teacher Trainer. She has been teaching piano since 1989. Having studied and taught traditionally for years, Kerry began teaching Simply Music in 1998 and still loves teaching this method.

'To be giving people access to musical expression so quickly and simply, is still a thrill for me', she says, 'and watching them experience the joy of being able to play such a large quantity and variety of great-sounding music so quickly - whether the student is a child or an adult - is extremely rewarding.'

Kerry relates well to both children and adults alike and her teaching style is appreciated by both. This is demonstrated by the fact that she consistently maintains a student ratio of 30-50% adults to children.