About
The History
Francis Music Studio began in 2007 in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was named for Linda Francis' late husband, Jason Francis, who was a graduate student at University of Nebraska working on his MFA in Acting and Directing.
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Jason passed in 2010 after a fierce but short battle with cancer. Jason loved music and children and he was a highly-gifted teacher. He had a way of working with students that brought out their best, but he did it with an abundance of humor, grace and positive energy.
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Jason's love and passion for students, teaching and the Arts remains the heartbeat of Francis Music Studio today.
Linda Francis
Private Piano Lesson Teacher
“I believe that students will enjoy learning the piano if they see themselves accomplishing something every week. It is my hope that this will motivate them to continue learning as the music becomes more difficult."
Linda Francis is a music education professional that has been teaching piano, classroom music, choir and music theory for over 30 years to students of all ages. Her goal is for every student to succeed. Students are attracted to her friendly, enthusiastic, and intuitive personality in lessons.
Questions and Answers with
Ms. Linda
on Her Piano Teaching Philosophy
Q: What is your teaching philosophy for keeping students motivated and helping them progress in learning their instrument?
A: “I believe that students will enjoy learning their instrument if they see themselves accomplishing something every week. Small successes will inspire and motivate them to continue on into more difficult levels of music where they can then learn to play the kind of music they enjoy most. In each lesson, I work to create moments of success that will hopefully add up to large accomplishments in the future.” ​​
Q: Why is learning to read music just as important as learning to play a specific instrument?
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A:“When we take lessons on a particular instrument we must remember that we are not just learning to play the instrument, we are also learning how to read music. This is HUGE! Learning to read can then be translated to any instrument including the voice.”
Q: How important is at home practice in learning to play the piano?
A: “I often hear people try to ‘sell’ piano lessons to their student as being ‘fun’. You can definitely have fun playing music!! But what about all that time in between when you are learning to make music? If a school teacher told you that your child only needed to practice reading one time a week to learn to read, we would call that teacher ridiculous! How then can anyone learn to read music by attending lesson once a week? At-home practice is a vital part of learning to play the piano."
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Q: How would you describe the kind of “fun” involved in learning a musical instrument, and how is it different from entertainment-based fun?
A: "I would say that learning a musical instrument is not like the ‘fun’ of riding carnival rides or having a pizza party with friends and we should not try to persuade children this way. That kind of fun takes no effort and is focused on entertainment and leisure."
Q: What lasting rewards do students gain from the hard work and dedication required to learn an instrument?
A: "Let’s be honest here, learning to play an instrument and to read music takes hard work, practice and dedication. I believe the ‘fun’ is the feeling of joy at a job well done and the pride of accomplishing something difficult and beautiful. This is something much deeper and long lasting compared to a party or easy entertainment."