Mrs. Yuan Crook

Yuan Crook obtained her bachelor's degree in Music Education from Capital Normal University in Beijing, China. During her undergraduate studies, she built her own studio and enjoyed teaching the piano. The longer she taught, the more she realized that being a good performer does not necessarily make you a good teacher. Therefore, Yuan decided to come to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Ball State University in order to become an even more effective piano instructor. She currently serves as the secretary and co-chair for Student day in the Tallahassee Music Teachers Association.

Dr. Benjamin Crook

A recent doctoral graduate from Florida State University's performance program, Benjamin Crook maintains an active repertoire of both classical works and new music. As an advocate for rising artists, he has commissioned piano work from Adam O'Dell and has performed music from composers including Samuel Adams, Mikhail Johnson, and Matthew Ramage. His recent projects include creating a commercial recording of Matthew Ramage's im(Balanced), a concerto for piano and chamber winds, with the music collective, Inspired.
An active music teacher and judge, Benjamin has taught in classroom or private settings at institutes including Bowling Green State University, Florida State University, and Bluffton University and has participated as judge for various events hosted by Tallahassee Music Teachers Association.

Teaching Philosophy

At Crook's Keys Piano Studio, we believe learning piano can enrich the life of any person with the desire to learn, no matter their age. We not only teach students to use the right method to play the correct notes, but also provide them with a comprehensive musical foundation. Students will learn how to use their fingers, wrists, arms and entire body to build strong technique skills. Additionally, learning music theory and the historical background behind the pieces that students are playing can help deepen their understanding of music and even help them compose their own works. To further expand and deepen the student’s musical understanding, we emphasize sight-reading, developing skills that will help students to learn pieces of music quickly, and ear-training, equipping students with the essential ability to understand sounds and translate them into musical language.

We believe that teaching according to students’ individual aptitudes is the best strategy for music education. Students will be assigned different methods based on their age, music background and their particular goals for piano. Then, based on the particular needs, different supplemental materials are chosen for each student.

As a piano studio, we strive to be friendly and engaging in order to make the study of the piano an enjoyable and stimulating pursuit. Our hope is that students will not only learn the fundamentals of piano, but that they will also develop an appreciation for music that will last a lifetime.