Dennis Frayne Music Studios
Laguna Niguel School of Music
Lake Forest (Travel Studio)
Our Philosophy
Dennis Frayne Music Studios consist of private music academies and schools, specializing in piano lessons, voice lessons, guitar lessons, violin lessons, drums & percussion lessons, and other music lessons, and serving South Orange County, CA.
Dennis and several expert teachers provide piano, voice, guitar, violin, and other music lessons in their comfortable studio and classroom locations for private and group lessons in Laguna Niguel. Dennis and his team of experienced and talented instructors teach children from the very youngest to youth, teens, and adults of all ages. Lessons include private, personal, one-on-one instruction as well as group classes which provide other opportunities and benefits. Class sizes average 2-6 students and content range from Mommy & Me and Piano Preparatory (Pre-piano) to Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, to ensembles including band, choir, orchestra, rock band, and musical theater, and “Piano & Brew,” our unique offering for adults who want to expand the social aspect of their music learning. (Invite your friends!)
Dennis Frayne Music Studios use proven proprietary teaching methods, strategies, and curricula developed by Dr. Dennis over the course of his career and through many years of working with many students and teachers, both in public schools and private studios and academies. There are a number of style and pacing options that will help to provide the perfect learning environment for each student and family. Students enrolled make better and faster progress, gain superior musical knowledge and skills, and all while having a happier, less stressful, and more rewarding learning experience.
Call today or stop by the store to sign up for lessons that are perfect for you.
Or read more about our philosophy below.
Goals & Interests
Music is for everyone, but not everyone has the same musical goals and interests. Knowing this, we have developed music programs, curriculum, piano lessons, and teaching strategies that are tailored to each student’s individual needs, desires, and learning objectives. These customizations include the pacing of instruction, practice requirements, performance expectations, content, and teaching style.
Sequencing of Instruction
Music instruction, including piano lessons, should include lots of music-making right from the start. While this may seem obvious, it is common practice for piano instruction to focus less on music-making and more on conceptual activities such as “note reading” and “music theory” — even for young beginners.
The unnecessary overemphasis on note reading and music theory slows down students’ ability to actually play the piano — it persistently makes it harder to learn — and too often results in the feeling that playing the piano is “hard work,” tedious and boring, random and illogical, that a student “lacks talent” or has “learning difficulties” or is “not musical” or “not a musician” — and all this has a very negative impact, can contribute to low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, long-term anxiety, and a strong distaste for piano lessons and other music-making, music-learning, and even other learning.
Conversely, some music curriculum goes too far in the other direction — with too much focus on learning by rote or playing solely by ear — avoiding note reading to the point where it eventually becomes extremely difficult and frustrating for students to learn to read music notation.
Balance is needed, along with excellent sequencing of instruction. We want to do both! To play and to read. Our curriculum, lesson sequencing, content selection, and scaffolding provide the perfect balance, timing, and personalization for all students. Students learn to actually play the piano right away, while more gradually learning to read music notation, in a way that is straightforward, clear, and painless: it happens naturally and smoothly without unnecessary stress and strain or confusion and illogic. Students develop technical facilities while learning to read music — their ability to play the piano is not hindered as they are learning to read music. Yet the path to reading music is clear from the start, and students learn to read music faster! Yes, overall progress is faster and more thorough (greater retention) in the long run. This results in a much more enjoyable, satisfying, and rewarding experience for students taking piano lessons.
“We teach what you want to learn, the way you like to learn, so that you can enjoy learning, learn your best, and become the person you want to be - your true authentic self.”
Recitals & Performances
Performing music and playing the piano for others should be enjoyable and rewarding experiences. We hold frequent recitals and provide many performance opportunities in order to help make performing music and playing the piano for others easier and less stressful. Sometimes, we want to show off a big accomplishment - like a piano piece we have worked on for a long time and perfected. But we don’t have to do that! Other times, we can show the audience what we are working on, perhaps part of a piece that is not yet fully learned. And we can perform some pieces more than once — the way professionals do! In this way, we help music students reduce performance anxiety and the feeling that playing the piano is an all-or-nothing, succeed-or-fail activity — like high-stakes testing in general education! It’s not — it’s making music together! Even with this more nurturing philosophy about recitals and performances, we can still work hard on perfecting some pieces and preparing for exams, auditions, and competitions. This is for those who want to — it’s not for everyone!
Each student can be the performer they want to be! And each student is free to grow and evolve, set new goals, and change over time!
“The kids woke up early and they started practicing. We were about to print your email, then I remembered you were dropping off the program. Told the kids and they ran to check and they were already out there! Thank you so much! Those are amazing prizes and they love everything! They are looking forward to the recital.”
— Tracy W.S.
Our PhilosophyTension-free Playing Technique
We encourage tension-free piano playing and singing (and all musical activities). Our techniques have evolved over many years of experience and by learning from masters who understand the physical body and how to improve flexibility and performance and avoid injury and long-term problems. Two examples of tension-free playing technique are provided here (follow the links below), which discuss relaxed piano posture, natural hand shape, and releasing tension. We reject common yet outdated and harmful methods and gimmicks (such as holding tennis balls and placing coins or pencils on the backs of student’s hands) intended to “curve fingers” or “lift wrists” or accomplish some other artificial or forced outcome. These strategies are unnatural and introduce unwanted tension, can set students up for future injury, and can result in long-term (even a lifetime of) anxieties, insecurities, and other difficulties. Our strategies strive to release tension and provide a lifetime of physical comfort and playing ability.
