PPP097: A Jazzy Conversation with Wade Cottingham

Piano teacher, Wade Cottingham, owner of Lakewood Piano Lab near Dallas, Texas. According to his website, he uses his lab as “a place of discovery and growth”. He is more than the typical piano teacher who interacts with their students in the traditional sense, Wade creates jam sessions where each student learns to use their musical voice.

Wade's personal piano story...

While there was a baby grand piano in Wade’s childhood home, his mother was reluctant to enroll him in lessons because of the negative experience she had in lessons. He convinced his mom to sign him up for piano lessons but they only lasted three years because he quit to run a paper route. In high school his father arranged lessons with a jazz teacher but that didn’t last very long either.He was able to study in short spurts with a teacher in London while he was there for a travel study program and a professional pianist in Los Angeles (more on that later).I played piano growing up and majored in music and English, but became a computer programmer and part time piano player.  I got sick of computer programming after 14 years of it, and began teaching part time. I moved to full time teaching in 2002.  My teaching experience changed around 2008 or so when I changed my name to “Lakewood Piano Lab”.Wade remembers his mom’s one piano piece that she enjoyed playing, “My Blue Heaven.”Were you a good student?I was a good piano student as a kid until I quit in order to use my afternoons to do a newspaper route. During my one year in high school with a great jazz teacher I was very absorbent and influenced and learned stuff, but he did have to yell at me a little for not practicing.  I was a good piano student in college. I argued about having to do technical exercises though.

Wade's teaching style...

What is one thing you often say to your piano students?Did you go to school today?Even though I was surprised by Wade’s answer, he explained the practical aspect of this question. If the student didn’t go to school because they were sick then he knows to keep his distance. He still teaches them if they’re sick (within reason)….with caution.Is there a common struggle your piano parents deal with? How do you help them through it?No. I look at the process as joy and progress and expression and try to convey that more than how to deal with struggles.In the audio file, Wade mentions a book he found years ago, “How to get your child to practice (without having to resort to violence).” That book helped him establish his own practice guidelines for parents. He teaches the parents in his studio to follow th...