Lessons at Pianoarts
Pianoarts is dedicated to the fine art of keyboard education, including piano, keyboard, organ and digital piano. A total curriculum is provided from beginning level to advanced studies in performance and composition. We also feature lessons in gospel playing, as well as jazz piano and classical organ. Lessons are given each week from September through June (following the school calendar) and are 1/2 hour in length. Summer lessons are also available; while the teaching year officially begins in September, students are welcome to start at anytime. Homeschoolers can use their lessons for their music requirements and Paul Bordeleau -- the director of our lesson program and Certified by the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association-- can issue grades for the work.

Private Lessons are available for students of all ages, from children to seniors. Lesson hours are available in the afternoon after school, in the evening or mornings.

Group Lessons are organized by age group and ability level. Group lessons can only begin when we have at least 3 compatible students ready to start in a group. You can either sign up for the next available group, or get together with a few friends to put your own group together!

Adult Classes are geared towards recreational music making. These are generally offered in 6 week sessions, with many participants electing to continue on to the next session. This is the same curriculum used by Paul Bordeleau at Prime Time for Seniors in Manchester.

Tuesday Night Classes for Adults are currently in progress, and is an open-ended class customized to the participants that show up on a particular night. Anyone is welcome to come by any Tuesday evening from 7pm to 8pm and join in. Bring your questions with you and we'll show you how to play it, whether it be learning music theory, or getting jazzier chords to substitute in your favorite song.

Paul Bordeleau, Director Operates his own teaching studio in Bedford, NH as well as directing the teaching program at Pianoarts. He earned a B.M from N.E. Conservatory and a M.M.Ed from Boston Univesity, and he has taught at both public schools and colleges. In addition to teaching Paul is also a composer, entertainer, and church organist. He has produced several shows at the Palace Theater in Manchester, NH and hosts a television show on BCTV in Bedford, NH

Jan Bordeleau Is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and has worked as a product specialist in the music industry, a studio session player in New York City, and has played piano, organ, and keyboards with a variety of groups including rock, jazz, blues, traditional Sacred, Gospel and Contemporary Christian music. She is currently Music Director at First Congregational Church in Salem, NH, an accompanist at Sainte Marie Parish in Manchester, NH and works at Pianoarts as a church music specialist.

Our Teaching Method
Our basic course, Keyboard Players Guide to Reading Music is published by Bordeleau Keyboard Studio and has been in use for more than 40 years with exceptional results. Students learn to play melody in the right hand and accompaniment in the left hand from the first lessons, allowing them to play familiar music much sooner and progressing at a faster rate than conventional piano methods. A wide range of music is studied and performed, including traditional classical, jazz, pop, sacred, and contemporary Christian music. While the fundamentals of keyboard playing are common to all music styles, we try to fit the music studied to the interests of the student.

Music Makes You Smarter!
Many people have heard of the "Mozart Effect", in which a group of students showed a temporary increase in intelligence after listening to music composed by Mozart. While the conclusions of the study are still debated, other research has shown that learning to make music has definite and permanent benefits.

Numerous studies have shown that learning to play a keyboard instrument aids children in developing abstract thinking and spatial perception, necessary in the fields of mathematics and engineering.

Students who have learned to play a musical instrument score significantly higher on their SAT tests -an average of 40 points on both the math and verbal sections.

Music makers have better self-esteem, concentration, and self-discipline than non- music makers.

Unlike some other activities (like sports) music making knows no season, and can be enjoyed throughout one's lifetime. Music making has been shown to help maintain brain function and forestall the development of some forms of dementia.

For more information on music and the brain, go to our Links page and click on any link on Music Research.

Questions about this web site should be directed to Jan Bordeleau