Online Piano Lessons with Hoffman Academy

Do you want an affordable way to add music in your homeschool? Does one or more of your kids just HAVE to learn to play the piano? Do you want to be able to have your kids learn piano from the comfort of your home? If you answered “YES” to any of these then you should definitely check out Hoffman Academy.

Four years ago we moved into the Owl House.  A generous friend asked if we had room for a piano–their family was growing and they could use the space.  We said yes, and a team of neighbors delivered a shiny, black piano and then tucked into the corner of our dining room.  The only problem?  No one in our house played the piano! Enter Mr. Hoffman.

Online Piano Lessons with Mr. Hoffman

Hoffman Academy offers FREE online piano lessons. What a boon for our family!  No travel time, no initial cost, no outside timetable. It was a perfect fit!

With Hoffman Academy you will learn:

• sight reading
• rhythm
• music theory
• imporvisation
• ear training
• technique
• solfege
• composition

Mr. Hoffman is warm and funny and approachable. The lessons are short (about 10 minutes each), so that the student can give full attention to the skill or song. Hoffman Academy suggests doing two lessons a week, but that pace has been too fast for our young students.  We do 1 lesson a week.

Our 9 year old and I are learning and progressing through each lesson, each week building on what has come before. The 6 and 3 year old mostly noodle around and wait for the finger puppets at the end! But all of us are at the piano together. I love that even this individual skill work is enriching our family culture.

Along with the free lessons, digital downloads of practice materials are available. Included in the practice materials are helpful hints for parents supporting their children’s learning. Like the best homeschooling advice, the ideas are applicable to much more than piano practice. I can always use the reminder that lessons go better when I keep the atmosphere light and that my children learn best when I can come alongside and partner in their learning.

The Drawbacks

There are drawbacks to online lessons of course. 

• There is no outside schedule for the lessons–you can watch them anytime. But things that can happen anytime often don’t happen at all.
• There is also no outside pressure from a teacher to practice or progress through the lessons. 

But if you can reliably make space for the lessons in your homeschooling plan, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Interactive Website

{As of the update of this post the Hoffman Academy Interactive Website is up and running! (And has been for some time!)}

Hoffman Academy will be re-launching its website with new interactive games and online practice tracking. While the lessons will always be free, there will also be a paid Membership option. 

Mr. Hoffman is expanding our approach and appreciation of music and enriching our lives.

Lesson Options:

• Basic (Forever Free) with 300+video lessons
• Premium all the video lessons PLUS Downloadable Sheet Music, Learning Resources, Interactive Learning Games, and Practice Tools

More Hoffman Academy Reviews

Here is Heidi Ciravola’s experience with Hoffman Academy:

Homeschool Piano Instruction with Hoffman Academy – “I grew up playing the piano. Much to my dismay, my oldest wanted to play the violin. This meant paying for someone else to teach her. It meant the drive to and from and time out of the house. Violin lessons outside the house were wonderful (because we loved the teacher so much) but they were time consuming and often disruptive to our schedule. Jump ahead a few years and I was teaching my other children to play the piano, but I really wanted more formal piano instruction for them. I found Homeschool Piano Instruction with Hoffman Academy at just the right time!”

Tonia has also written about her family’s experience with Hoffman Academy:

“You NEED to check out online piano lessons with Hoffman Academy. It’s the perfect choice for piano lessons for families on a budget.”  

~ Originally published March 2016, written by Kortney Garrison