Amy Nicole Levine

Pianist, Music Teacher, and Songwriter

Amy Nicole Levine is a Pianist, Music Teacher, and Songwriter, based in Oakland, CA. She performs in a wide variety of genres ranging from Jazz, Classical, Funk, R&B, Gospel, Rock, Reggae, Latin, Chorale, and others. Amy teaches private piano lessons to both adults and children at her studio in Oakland. Amy plays with multiple music groups throughout the Bay Area. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from San Francisco State University.

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Q&A Comments (6)

How can one improve their sight-reading skills on the piano?
Sight-reading is a specialized skill distinct from just knowing how to read music. To enhance sight-reading abilities, one must practice it consistently and regularly. It's essential not to look at your hands and keep your eyes on the notation. Recognizing the shapes that notes make on the notation and understanding the intervals and distances between notes is crucial. These shapes and intervals translate to the piano in a linear fashion. The key is to immerse oneself in sight-reading exercises and learn music regularly.
What is an effective approach to quickly improve piano skills and ensure consistent progress?
I've learned there are no real shortcuts to getting better at piano — consistent practice is so important. Instead of trying to sit down and practice for hours and hours every once in a while, I've found it's much more effective to practice a little bit every single day. Keeping up that daily continuity really helps you retain what you are learning and steadily build on it. A technique called "chunking" has worked well for me — you take small sections or phrases from a piece and repeat them over and over. You can also use the "three times method"— if you can play a section correctly three times in a row, keeping the same tempo and fingering, it really starts to get into your muscle memory.
How can I find a good piano teacher and ensure they're the right fit for me?
I suggest trying out two or three teachers before deciding on one. It's really important that you feel good about what you're learning and how you communicate together. The relationship you have with your teacher can majorly shape your musical path, so listen to your gut. If after a couple lessons something feels off, don't ignore that feeling — consider switching to someone else. You want a teacher you really click with and feel at ease with. That connection makes a huge difference in getting the most out of your lessons and growth as a pianist.
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Co-authored Articles (4)