How I Started Arranging for Piano

From student requests to a lifelong passion

As a piano teacher, I’ve spent years guiding students through exam pieces and method book repertoire. But every now and then, something special would happen—a student would walk in and ask, “Can I learn this song?”

We’d search for sheet music, excited to get started, only to be disappointed. Many of the arrangements we found were either awkward to play or didn’t quite sound like the original. Even my students—some just beginners—could tell something wasn’t right.

That’s when I started arranging music myself. It began as a way to help my students enjoy the music they loved, but quickly turned into something bigger. One student in particular preferred my versions so much that he gave me a list of songs he wanted me to arrange just for him. Those early arrangements were mostly pop songs—simple, familiar, and perfect for experimenting.

Through this process, I discovered that the best piano arrangements strike a balance: they carry musical depth, but are simple enough to play with confidence. I’ve always admired how Chopin mastered this in his music—virtuosic yet elegant, sometimes surprisingly simple in the right hand.

That idea—depth and simplicity—has stayed with me ever since. I’ll dive more into that in a future blog.

—Lester