Rock Lesson 8/16

[spannfan]

I'm wondering what happened to the rock lesson that was downloaded yesterday. I'm not finding it.:cool:

[place]

Not there :(

I really hesitate to be critical because I really enjoy the lessons, love the site, think Willie is fantastic, etc., but have been very frustrated this summer with the many promises and very little follow through.

Again, I don't want this to sound like blame, because the Myette family has also been frustrated and had a very difficult few months. But I was really looking forward to this summer. Being on an academic schedule I can practice much more and more seriously during the summer months (for me May 25 through August 18). I was hoping for a lesson per week or maybe even 12-15 lesson total with the addition of the two new sites (blues and rock). Alas, only 7 lessons and no radio shows (April's video is still not uploaded). This and the announcement of a price increase. Granted, the price increase does not effect me financially (and I don't think it is an unfair price just ill timed), but less lessons and higher price mean less students and less people visiting the site which therefore lessen the interaction and fun of the community area.

I'll stop now. Thanks for letting me vent. It's hard to convey tone in an online response, so again, I don't mean this as a fierce criticism. I'm not going to leave the site or quit or any thing like that, I just felt that I needed to vent.

Looking forward to the rock lessons and the improvements whenever they happen. Hopefully soon.
-Mark

[dviator11]

Mark,
I also feel your disappointment and frustration. I am glad to hear you are not leaving. You share so much and are a great inspiration to me and I'm sure many others. Thanks again.
Don Viator

[spannfan]

I've been disappointed too Mark, with a few different issues. I signed up for a full year, and there are certainly loads of video lessons for me to get to without running out in a year.

Communication is so important, and I can only think that Willie has been overwhelmed with the flooding and possibly other things, because he's always been great. I'd just suggest to keep posting when there are delays and not to make promises you aren't sure you can keep.

I waited for that rock lesson! I was looking for it at midnight!

[sunfly]

I have to agree that Germaine Griggs and co is a very gifted music teacher but i have found Willie does often times teach a superior style and technique.For instance i have did the jazz course at h&p and found Willies fingering technique as regards to the playing the pentatonic scale and bringing the thumb under at a later stage than note three was a better example to be taught than to end 5note scale with the pinkie.Willies way makes the play beyond the scale more continuous and i corrected what i learnt there to Willies better way.Yet often in general Willies lessons are much more in depth and technically suited to the more thinking about theory in depth in order to be an advanced player.Obviously lessons have to appeal to many levels of students and often there are more indepth lessons to be learned if you look more into what Willies says and does you will often find those intuitive insights waiting to be learned.Just added my own personal experience to be said here.And i,m sure that it will be worth while to wait patiently for quality not quantity.Have a nice day and thanks for reading.

[domisol]

I love the way Willy teaches. For each song at the end he teaches on how to improvise on the song slowly so you can learn to do it the same. I love the Latin site, there are beautiful songs there to learn. I think he is the best teacher online that you can find.
Check under Lessons, Lessons news and you will find that Willy is now ready to start the lessons faster.

[ricoche]

And i,m sure that it will be worth while to wait patiently for quality not quantity.Have a nice day and thanks for reading.

That's an arrogant statement.

Nobody here is requesting quantity. We're just requesting what we signed up and paid for.

I also happen to enjoy Germaine Griggs lessons very much and quite frankly could care less if he is 100% correct or not on his theory or whatever he does. I'm not a purist.

Is this what Willie's site has become? A place for jazz purists?

Jim

[ricoche]

I love the way Willy teaches. For each song at the end he teaches on how to improvise on the song slowly so you can learn to do it the same. I love the Latin site, there are beautiful songs there to learn. I think he is the best teacher online that you can find.
Check under Lessons, Lessons news and you will find that Willy is now ready to start the lessons faster.

Here the news: http://www.mylessonclub.com/students/news

Are you referring to March, April, or May?

Again, nobody's denying that Willie is one of the many great piano teachers on the internet and definitely knows his stuff.

[spannfan]

I'm actually starting to get worried that something is wrong with Willie and/or his family. There has been no response to our comments, and no update after the promise to put up a new lesson on Monday....

Given that Valerie wrote an announcement that they would be gone for a week, I'm concerned they were on the road and that something has happened.

:(

[place]

I'm actually starting to get worried that something is wrong with Willie and/or his family. There has been no response to our comments, and no update after the promise to put up a new lesson on Monday....
:(

Either way I'm worried too. Hopefully Willie and family are okay (BTW there are pictures of his High School Reunion on his facebook page so he looks fine there) but to not hear a word after a promise of a specific date and the announcement that all repairs are complete, and lessons will be flowing ASAP--that really worries me. The integrity of the site has been compromised.

The news about the Rock lesson has been removed, so someone is at least okay enough to updating the site.

[spannfan]

Wow. Very disappointing. I won't be signing up for another year. I have till May, and then I might give Hear and Play a try.

[glimmer]

I agree its a bit hasty to schedule a lesson release date and not follow through; at least without an explanation why. As it is a small family operation, I realise they need time to spend together or go away for a week once in awhile. There was a notice to that effect that was ending on the 14th, so I am concerned there has been no notice of lesson progress or other site news. If they don't own a wifi laptop, then just a short note posted from an internet cafe near where they are staying would be enough. I do hope all is well with them in any case. :)

[spannfan]

I cancelled my Gold membership, and got an email from Willie. He mentioned the flooding and said he has a cold. He asked what I meant by broken promises, and didn't mention not putting up a lesson on the 16th as promised. I felt the tone was self-pitying and after looking at the facebook class reunion pages another person mentioned, found that less than honorable.

Let me tell you what my summer was like. My daughter had a major seizure in May, and was diagnosed with a pineal brain tumor in June. I struggled to get a job all summer (finally offered one yesterday, when we're down to our last $1,000).

I've been fighting my daughter's school district, she has learning disabilities, emotional issues and is dylexic, but very bright. She is 17, going into 9th grade for the 3rd time, and working at about 6th grade level, all because of the negligence of our public schools. Not being able to afford a lawyer, I've had to do all the paperwork myself all year, while the school and district gang up on me with 3 law firms and many administrators. They literally smirk at me at meetings.

So, I'm not feeling very sympathetic about a cold.

[lonniemoseley]

Spannfan, I can't even imagine the level of stress you're dealing with coming at you from all sides...and especially where your children are involved...sheesh...

I, too, enjoy HearAndPlay's approach and buy from Germaine. And as a "sister", am delighted with the diversity I'm finding in the musical training businesses found on the web.

As a person who has taken piano lessons from many, many face-to-face teachers over the years; and then videos and other online methods--and also as a computer educator and curriculum developer, I know conclusively for me that Willie Myette is the best teacher on the web and possibly best face-to-face teacher -- even though i don't take private lessons with him.

Willie's formal Berklee training and his ability to be an educator and develop relevant and varied curriculum, and have technical skills to deliver it via the web in an easy to use format--these combinations of talents are not matched by many. Also that Willie is a performing musician helps him make relevant for us what we need as soloists and group players.

I do think when a crisis throws our routines out of whack, it takes time to get back into a rhythm. I think this has happenedt to Willie and his family. I know you know this from all that has happened with you and your family this year.

I, too, look forward each month to what Willie has to offer and it is my most anticipated form of entertainment; so I i know that little crash of disappointment when i'm all ready with my piano and popcorn to watch one of Willie's new videos and it's not there.

However, Willie has become a critical part of my world as I have developed severe rheumatoid arthritis and can no longer form chords in my left hand. Willie's lessons on theory and ideas for improvisation in the right hand have been an emotional support for me when I have wanted to give up altogether in despair of having loss my left hand.

So, anyhow...sorry for the lengthy reply...my point is I would be happy to contribute $200.00 toward your Gold membership renewal when it is time to renew and will work it out with Willie and Valerie.

I think Willie is good for one's mental health as well as one's musical health and I think we need both Willie and Germaine.

Your contributions to the forum are always enjoyable for me and have become part of that fabric of support that keeps me engaged with music while i'm dealing with my hand issues. I would hate to lose your participation. So if you're willing to consider renewing, I would like to contribute $200.00 to your re-engagement with Piano with Willie. Warm Regards, Lonnie.

[spannfan]

Thank you so much Lonnie... that's very sweet. Your kindness really touched me.

Spannfan, I can't even imagine the level of stress you're dealing with coming at you from all sides...and especially where your children are involved...sheesh...

I, too, enjoy HearAndPlay's approach and buy from Germaine. And as a "sister", am delighted with the diversity I'm finding in the musical training businesses found on the web.

As a person who has taken piano lessons from many, many face-to-face teachers over the years; and then videos and other online methods--and also as a computer educator and curriculum developer, I know conclusively for me that Willie Myette is the best teacher on the web and possibly best face-to-face teacher -- even though i don't take private lessons with him.

Willie's formal Berklee training and his ability to be an educator and develop relevant and varied curriculum, and have technical skills to deliver it via the web in an easy to use format--these combinations of talents are not matched by many. Also that Willie is a performing musician helps him make relevant for us what we need as soloists and group players.

I do think when a crisis throws our routines out of whack, it takes time to get back into a rhythm. I think this has happenedt to Willie and his family. I know you know this from all that has happened with you and your family this year.

I, too, look forward each month to what Willie has to offer and it is my most anticipated form of entertainment; so I i know that little crash of disappointment when i'm all ready with my piano and popcorn to watch one of Willie's new videos and it's not there.

However, Willie has become a critical part of my world as I have developed severe rheumatoid arthritis and can no longer form chords in my left hand. Willie's lessons on theory and ideas for improvisation in the right hand have been an emotional support for me when I have wanted to give up altogether in despair of having loss my left hand.

So, anyhow...sorry for the lengthy reply...my point is I would be happy to contribute $200.00 toward your Gold membership renewal when it is time to renew and will work it out with Willie and Valerie.

I think Willie is good for one's mental health as well as one's musical health and I think we need both Willie and Germaine.

Your contributions to the forum are always enjoyable for me and have become part of that fabric of support that keeps me engaged with music while i'm dealing with my hand issues. I would hate to lose your participation. So if you're willing to consider renewing, I would like to contribute $200.00 to your re-engagement with Piano with Willie. Warm Regards, Lonnie.

[place]

Spannfan,
So sorry to hear about your troubles and very sorry to hear you're considering leaving the site. I think you should give it another chance. Maybe Willie will let you renew without charging you the higher prices.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Mark

[rhythmsong]

Personally, I am a Gold Member. If Willie never posts another lesson, there is enough to keep me busy until the end if time. No Joke! I don’t understand how Spannfann can be upset to the point that he has canceled his membership. Why, because Willie didn’t post another lesson?

Ironically, I think Willie may be at fault in that he has inadvertently created a monster by catering to what people have come to crave(monthly candy), as opposed to what they need-more practice time and support! I also wonder if the internet isn’t part of the problem. It offers instant gratification on so many levels-a world of virtual fantasy!

When I first joined, I thought that the Blues site was somewhat sparse compared to other sites such as Funk Piano. But then came the Dr. John and Otis Spann licks, not to mention the other important lessons on that site.

I’m also concerned about Willie and the site overall. This began back in the winter. Willie just kept putting out so much work. How long can anyone keep up at such a pace. I recently began downloading my favorite lessons just in case the site doesn't survive. But then again, i think that Willie and the site will prevail!

[tm21]

spannfan i am also very sorry to hear about the troubles you are experiencing...i hope everything works out for you. you are in my thoughts and prayers.

if you guys are looking for some tutorial videos, check out this guy's youtube channel... http://www.youtube.com/user/pianojohn113

all of his videos are free and he teaches some great rock/pop songs from billy joel, elton john and the beatles...it could be a good starting point for rock playing as willie gets the rock piano site off the ground...

also, i've been going back and rewatching willies lessons. i spent the last week or so watching all the funk lessons...and you'd really be surprised how much more you can out of it after a second view. willie really jams in a ton of info with each lesson. this is exactly what makes him the best teacher on the internet!

[williemyette]

OK, I'm not sure where to start with this thread. First of all, I am the family are all fine thank you.

I first want to start by saying that you can always reach us at pianohelp@jazzedge.com. I mention that because there was a bug in the forum in which I was not getting the new posts that were being posted on the forum. However, we get those support emails 24 hours a day.

Running a business and having a house of youngsters is not easy in its own. Adding a natural disaster only increased the burden. The past 5 months has been a blessing for me and our family. You might wonder why a blessing.

Well, some people in RI lost their home in the flood. We were inconvenienced. I hear the story of the floods in TN in which over a dozen people perished in an instant. Life is short and we were lucky that only material items were lost.

It is also a blessing to have people both berate and come to my defense on the forum. This is a blessing because it lets me know that what we do makes a difference in students lives.

I have been bad with communication over the past couple of months. I apologize for the lack of consistent communication, lesson delays and rock site hold up.

We are now moving into the light and coming out the other end. There are many new lessons in the pipeline...but there will be some changes.

From September - April, I posted a new lesson for every site at the beginning of the month. This was overwhelming for students because GOLD members were hit with four or five lessons all at once. I'm going to change this.

Since most students are GOLD members, we will be releasing (1) new lesson every week. The lessons will cycle through the sites. So, this coming week is a new Jazz lesson on Stardust. Next week, it will be the gospel site. The week after the blues site and so on until we get back to the jazz site again. I think that this will provide consistent content for students. This does mean that monthly members will have to wait 6 weeks for a new lesson. However, we can keep this schedule and I will be adding some other perks like the radio show again and some other things.

O.K., that covers the lessons. Let's get personal now...

Yes, we went away as a family and when I got back I had a cold. I was not and am not looking for sympathy. However, as most of you know, when you have a cold it is tough to get work done. We should have posted a note saying the rock lesson would be delayed and I am sorry that we did not. Honestly, I did not realize the anticipation that was building. I'm glad to know that cause we have a lot of rock lessons coming!

Hmm.. the facebook stuff. Honestly, I hate facebook. Yes, I did go to my high-school reunion. Actually I had a gig with some old friends from school the night before and that took up a lot of time in preparation as well. I'm not sure if some of you felt betrayed because I went to my reunion instead of posting a rock lesson. This is part of the problem with sites like Facebook. You see what someone has posted but you don't really know the back story. Anyway, we went...and we had fun.

Now, let's move on to Jermaine and Hear and Play.

I do not know Jermaine personally. I am on his list so I get his emails. I have also purchased some of his material to check it out. He actually purchases mine as well ;-)
I'm not going to bad mouth any other teacher. I think Jermaine has a great product for specific needs. His site is well put together and if you feel like you would rather jump over there, I would tell you the same thing as if you were studying privately with me. "Good luck, I'll be here if you want to come back."

I can tell you a few facts about his site and how it compares to our site.

1) There is no blues, funk, latin, rock or jazz lessons there. The focus is gospel and contemporary church music. Black gospel, neo-soul...and the like. We have lessons in six styles now.
2) Old lessons are 'locked'. You must be a member for 90 days before you unlock what they call the "vault". PianoWithWillie.com has no such restrictions for GOLD members.
3) There is no real sheet music written by an actual person. The music is what's called a "MIDI transcription" and you'll notice that it is not easy to read or use. PianoWithWillie.com music is all written by me and professionally notated.
4) Jermaine's site does not have the breath of material that is available to GOLD members on this site. There are over 1500 chapters available to GOLD members and over 100 lessons on PianoWithWillie.com.

I honestly think that Jermaine and I have 2 very different sites all together. If you are interested in signing up for his site, I suggest that you get on his email list first. Jermaine is a very talented marketer and you will see that in his emails. Personally, we have a different business model. We want to be and operate as a family business.

Now, as far as other youtube teachers...you'll see the difference in quality. There is always information to be learnt but you need to make sure that you are learning the right way the first time around. Otherwise, you are training yourself using the wrong method and have to go through the agonizing process of unlearning....never fun!

I understand that many of you are angry and you have the right to be angry. I want to apologize to all of you. We are on the right track now and you will see consistent lessons in the future.

Like I said before, many of you already know this but if you have a specific problem or want to talk directly to use, email us at pianohelp@jazzedge.com. I believe the forum is a great place to share ideas and to even vent at times. But if you are downright angry at us...let us know. Sure, feel free to post here, but also put it in an email.

I'm sure that many of you can speak of occasions in which I have personally created a lesson for you, helped you through a technical problem or gave you some direction. We ARE approachable. We DO check email. So, please feel free to contact us. We are here for you.

Look for new lessons this week. Thanks for your support and I look forward to working with all of you in the upcoming year.

-Willie

[glimmer]

Personally, I am a Gold Member. If Willie never posts another lesson, there is enough to keep me busy until the end if time. No Joke! ....

I have to agree. Although I only purchase lessons on DVD It would be absolutely false to say I have mastered every single lesson or technique over the last couple of years. OK, maybe some lessons more than others but it is about evolving as a musician as well. Also there are always little nuggets of advice & wisdom during the conversations that are worth going back for, especially in the jazz lessons.

[charlie58]

Willie,

Hang in there. Take care of your family. Prayer goes a long way, The Lord is not deaf.

It came to pass, not stay
Charlie58

[williemyette]

Thanks all, we appreciate your support.