Meet Dr. Ipek Brooks of PianoAlpharetta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ipek Brooks.

Dr. Brooks, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After finishing my undergrad back in 2005 in my hometown, Istanbul, Turkey I moved to New York for my master’s degree in piano performance. It was a big change indeed, at the same time, it was very familiar as I grew up watching American shows and movies. At the beginning, it felt like being in a movie. I was surrounded by musicians and one became my husband.

When we moved to Atlanta in 2009, I decided to pursue my doctoral degree at the University of Georgia…lots of commuting back and forth but worth every minute, especially once you get the degree…All those years, I had many opportunities to teach at universities and music schools in Istanbul, New York and Atlanta. So it was time to start my own home studio.

I remember the first time I started; I was driving house to house throwing brochures to people’s driveways. After almost 8 years, it is now an academy with a wonderful team of 7 teachers teaching over 200 students. Through it all, I never stopped performing, as it has always been important to me to promote contemporary classical music

Now, my husband Mike and I are parents to a wonderful little girl. Singing, dancing, playing music everyday…It has never been a job for me. Music is my lifestyle, where I breathe.

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?
I always tell my students to like their mistakes and even cherish them. That is the only way you turn a failure to a learning experience. If you think that way, any challenge whether accomplished or not would take you to a better place.

However there are things that we cannot control as well. Although I would not prefer referring to myself as a ‘woman’-business owner, gender bias is unfortunately an ingrained part of working life. I worked with many people in both genders. Generally speaking, while the men would get hostile more easily, the women would question your credibility. You really need to find the strength in your core first, in order come out strong of these situations that are in print in our society. I am glad to see things are changing…though, as a society, we have lots of work to do…

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about PianoAlpharetta – what should we know?
At PianoAlpharetta, we specialize in piano teaching. Piano is a very welcoming and inviting instrument. You can be at any age, beginner or advanced, with any hand shape, there is always something nice you can play at the piano. 

That comes with endless opportunities. At PianoAlpharetta, our goal is to introduce all those opportunities to our students; a variety of genres and times (old vs. new), performing, competing, composing/songwriting, improvising, accompanying, ensemble playing and much more…you basically become a piano wizard at PianoAlpharetta. Aside from utilizing personalized teaching methods, PianoAlpharetta teachers also tailor their teaching to the strengths, weaknesses and interests of the individual student by understanding their personalities and combining or inventing materials for their program.

Every student starts a musical journey when they first enter through our door and it is our job to provide a smooth, lifelong walkway.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Focus; so you don’t let any distraction slow you down and forget where you would like to go.

Strength and not giving up easily; there are over 7 billion people in the world with different perceptions. If you let people pull you down with what they think of you, you will let yourself down.

Open to constructive criticism; I always tell my students to not underestimate themselves but not trust themselves too much either. Learning never ends. I thrive to learn everyday; not only information but more about the people in my life as well. It is important to listen and ask to the people you trust.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pianoalpharetta.com
• Phone: (404) 983 8299
• Email: contact@pianoalpharetta.com

Image Credit:
Petra Orsag

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