New Business: Wanderland Piano Brings Love for Learning Music to Ellwood City

Charlene Hall wants to get music into the community, and to teach as many people as time will allow her.

“Music is so beneficial in so many aspects of life,” she said.

That’s why Charlene opened Wanderland Piano at 311 5th Street in Ellwood City.

Since then, her list of students has skyrocketed.

Charlene was teaching her students virtually during Covid, and with a growing list of students, she decided it was time to open her own studio.

She really can’t remember a time when she didn’t play the piano.

“When I was really little like around 3 or 4, my grandfather would teach me things on the piano,” she said. “He worked for Kimball Piano and is an amazing piano player. A little later, my grandparents started a piano studio and I sort of grew up there after school when my mom was working, and my grandma was keeping me. So, I’d spend time learning on the piano or helping around the studio a lot.”

Charlene has been teaching piano for 7 years now.

“In 2015, my aunt (who took over the business when my grandparents retired) hired me as the teacher for 4-6-year-olds,” she said.

She offers a wide variety of educational services at her studio.

“I’m offering group lessons to any new students ages 5 and over that are interested,” she said. “Groups are 2-3 students learning together, lessons are 45 minutes long and happen once a week.”

“There is no age that’s ‘too old’ to learn,” she said. “I’d love to have more adults taking lessons, I currently only have one!”

And for those younger than 5, she offers intro to music lessons like a mommy and me music class in the afternoons and evenings.

“I’ll teach them rhythm and musical knowledge using fun songs, different instruments, and different activities until they’re old enough to be at the piano,” Charlene said.

More than a curriculum-based teacher, Charlene custom creates lessons for each student.

“I’d like to think that my lessons are unique in that I’m passionate about them and I care deeply about every student,” she said. “I use certain music books and programs to teach, but it really goes beyond just the books that we use. I implement a lot of goal-based activities I’ve created myself to earn rewards, to get through hard spots in lessons, and just to make sure that every student is benefitting fully and having fun while they’re learning.”

And she also has worked to integrate her business and her students into the community. She just participated in the Wander Ellwood event and her students will be playing at the Ellwood City Farmers market on Saturday October 1st. She’s also hoping to eventually have a float in the parades and have students perform at the Ellwood City 4th of July Festival.

Charlene said there is so much beauty and creativity in playing piano, and it is also therapeutic.

“Playing the piano is such a great stress reliever,” she said. “If I’m feeling sad, I might go play some heavy songs; feeling happy I might play some upbeat stuff. If I need a mood booster, I just go get lost in some music for a bit. And it’s such a creative outlet. I’ll hear a song on the radio and go learn the chords for it so that I can play it and sing to it and then I’ll change it a little or play the chords different ways.”

Although Charlene has called a few different places home over the years, the last eight she has spent in Ellwood City.

In addition to spending time with her husband, Thorton, 5-year-old son, Miles, and 11-year-old daughter, Della, she enjoys all types of art like wood burning (pyrography), drawing, painting, and photography as well as gardening, hiking, camping, kayaking, and generally just being in nature. She, of course, also enjoys playing the piano and singing.

For Charlene, business success isn’t measured in profits, it is measured by the success of her students.

“I have some original students that started back in 2015/2016, and they’ve grown and developed and learned so much,” she said. “But every student is a success to me. They learn something every week, they practice, they conquer their music. They’re all amazing and they all keep me going.”

And according to Charlene the business aspect of it is just something she must do, her teaching and sharing the love of music is what she truly loves and that has provided her with many memorable moments during her 7 years of teaching. And she makes every teaching moment memorable for the kids and their families.

“In 2020 I held a zoom recital, and all the students wore their favorite Christmas jammies which was fun,” she said. “And, last summer, I held my first in-person recital and we had it at Blinn Pond in their barn. The kids wore play clothes, families brought their own picnics, all the students performed and at the end of their songs, I handed them a sunflower from my garden.”

Charlene also said “I held my second in-person recital after Christmas, and it was quite a fancy event in a church with a stage and grand piano.”

“Everyone dressed up and played their songs,” she said. “I gave them awards and then we had a cookie party afterwards. That was special for me to see all their smiling faces and have them up on a stage playing. It made me feel good about what I’ve been doing. Not to mention the fact that their families were there in the audience enjoying the recital and supporting all their amazing piano players.”

But for Charlene, it doesn’t have to be a big recital to be a memorable moment.

“Even simple little things like a student telling me that they love the song they’re playing or them being excited and proud to play me something that used to be hard for them before, but they conquered it, that’s all memorable for me,” she said.

As for the future of her business, Charlene is hoping to expand as much as she can.

“I’m looking forward to getting as many people off my waitlist as I can and just continuing to build a musical community presence,” she said. “Music in general is a common ground for every human being no matter who they are or how different we all are. Music is in all our lives.”

Anyone interested in taking lessons can get all the details and tuition information directly from Charlene at 779-210-9282. And for news from the studio and updates on events follow Wanderland Piano on Facebook.