Today we’d like to introduce you to Eileen Tan.
Eileen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was five, I started taking an interest in the piano. I asked my mom for lessons, but sadly, at the time, we couldn’t afford them. Being the tenacious kid that I was, I kept on asking, and two years later, my mom enrolled me at the Yamaha Music School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and I LOVED it. My first teacher was engaging, fun, and unforgettable. She always made me want to learn more.
Back then, cheap electronic keyboards didn’t exist, so my parents bought me a “Real Piano,” which they had to finance. It was a lot of money for my immigrant parents. My mom told me because of the investment, I wasn’t allowed to quit, and she took this very seriously. At the time, I really resented her for this, but looking back, I now believe that was the catalyst for my success.
When my first teacher left Yamaha Music School, sadly, we did too. My mom decided to take me to a local piano teacher’s house because it was less money and more convenient. My new teacher was a lovely old lady, but she didn’t have that passion for getting me excited about the piano. I thought it was my fault. In hindsight, my mom didn’t really know what to look for in a teacher, but she always did her best for me, and true to her word.. she never let me quit! I did poorly at the expense of a cheap teacher, but that only spurred my mom on to do more research-without the internet-and find me better teachers. She did so, and I started making progress again.
At 16, I wanted a part-time job. I had my sights set on a part-time clothing store called “Le Chateau.” My mom, however, had different ideas. She told me I wasn’t working at the mall, and I should teach piano, which, as far as I was concerned, was WAY less cool. I started teaching piano to kids in the neighborhood.
We had pizza nights, piano recitals in my living room, and music-themed trips to popular musicals like “Phantom of the Opera.” I wanted to show kids that music and piano could be not only lots of fun but also a way to connect with other people.
It was during that time I recognized that I really love playing the piano and teaching kids came naturally to me. It brought me immense feelings of joy to see children’s eyes light up when they progressed and learned something new about themselves.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although my mom had always encouraged my piano practice when it came to college, she wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer, but I had zero interest in pursuing a law degree or being a doctor just because my mom told me to. So, I plucked up the courage to tell my parents that I wanted to study music and open a music school to teach kids, which didn’t go down too well. My mom didn’t believe I’d be successful and told it to me as too risky- she thought I should do something secure as she didn’t want me to struggle. Although I understood her reasoning, it was hard to come to terms with the fact that not even my own parents believe I could run a successful music school.
From that point on I decided to pursue my passion. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I put myself through college by teaching piano and driving around to students’ houses. I had the crappiest students whose parents seemed to recognize me as a glorified babysitter then someone who could genuinely instill some great habits in their kids through the teaching of proper lessons. Throughout that whole period, and the hundreds, if not thousands of hours I spent in students’ houses, I never saw the level of parental involvement that was necessary to be successful at learning an instrument.
Please tell us about 7 Notes.
The value of music is that everyone can enjoy it. There are no language barriers, cultural differences or points of view that stand in the way of playing music. It is truly a transformative experience.
My goal with 7 Notes is to enrich communities, from the youngest learner to the elderly. Our team is small and focused on providing an encouraging and engaging environment. I want all our students to feel what I felt when I started piano all those years ago. I want them to feel excited and have an eagerness to learn.
My team of teachers are not only great musicians but talented educators who turn out A+ results. Each student has a lesson plan to maximize their potential and give positive outcomes and results.
Playing music allows people to express themselves and to communicate in such a different way then what we are used to. I want our students to not only play music as an afterschool hobby but to carry these skills into adulthood and play for fun, to relieve stress or just to carve out a bit of time for themselves.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2787 Preston Road, Unit 1190
Frisco, Texas 75034 - Website: www.7-notes.com
- Phone: 972-335-5112
- Email: hello@7-notes.com
- Instagram: @7notesdfw
- Facebook: www.faceboook.com/7notesdfw
Me at 7 Years old in front of my piano.
Outside my school- 7 Notes, Frisco, Texas
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