Vasily Safonov in Rangsit: how Kru Oat, a piano teacher, learns from the Moscow Conservatory director who taught Scriabin, and lights the keys before AI piano lessons

Kru Oat is twenty-eight and teaches piano in Rangsit, mostly to children aged seven to fourteen. He works in a small studio above a tutoring centre, with one upright piano, two digital keyboards and a whiteboard covered in coloured notes. His pupils call him Kru Oat, and they know he loves stories about old musicians.

Recently he has been reading about teachers rather than performers. The same surname turned up again and again in the biographies of famous Russian pianists: Vasily Safonov. Kru Oat was curious about a teacher whose students became so well known, and he wanted to see whether anything from his methods could help children in his studio.

Safonov was born in 1852 in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Empire. He studied piano in St Petersburg and began a career as a performer and teacher. In 1885 he joined the Moscow Conservatory, and from 1889 to 1905 he served as its director, a period when the school grew in size and reputation.

His piano class produced remarkable musicians. Among them were Alexander Scriabin, who became a famous composer, Josef Lhévinne, celebrated for his beautiful tone, and Nikolai Medtner. Kru Oat found it fascinating that one teacher could guide such different personalities, each of whom developed a very individual style.

Safonov was also a conductor, and an unusual one. He was known for conducting without a baton, shaping the music with his hands alone. In 1906 he travelled to the United States, where he conducted the New York Philharmonic for several seasons and also directed the National Conservatory of Music in New York.

A conductor without a baton

For teachers, his most practical legacy is a slim book published in 1915, New Formula for the Piano Teacher and Piano Student. It offers a set of technical exercises designed to build strong, flexible fingers efficiently, with clear advice about how to practise them. Kru Oat ordered a copy and read it twice in one weekend.

What struck him most was Safonov's insistence on efficiency. Rather than hours of mindless repetition, students should practise short, focused patterns with full attention. That suits children perfectly. Kru Oat's pupils lose concentration after about fifteen minutes, so short, intense exercises are exactly what they need.

He also uses TIGA ALPHA in his studio. Some pupils who cannot attend twice a week continue their piano lessons at home on this online piano learning app, which listens and gives instant feedback. The AI piano teacher handles the daily routine, while Kru Oat focuses on musical expression, posture and the questions an app cannot answer.

Safonov's attention to preparation gave Kru Oat an idea about routines. At the start of each lesson Kru Oat has his pupils lean over and turn on the angled lamp beside the piano themselves, so they learn that seeing the score and the keys clearly is part of getting ready. The studio's only window faces a neighbouring wall, and the light is poor even at noon.

The habit has spread. Several parents report that their children now switch on a lamp at home before practising, without being asked. Kru Oat reminds them that a clearly lit score means fewer reading mistakes, and that tired eyes lead to tired attention. It is a modest habit, yet modest habits add up.

His piano course for beginners now includes a two-minute Safonov-style warm-up. Pupils repeat a brief finger pattern slowly and evenly, then the AI checks whether every note is the same volume. Children who want to learn piano quickly often want to skip this. Kru Oat tells them that Scriabin did it too.

There is something reassuring for a young teacher in Safonov's story. He did not create great pianists by force. He gave them strong foundations and then let them grow in their own direction. Kru Oat writes this idea on the whiteboard at the start of each term.

Many of his pupils also take music lessons at school, where classes are large. Kru Oat sees his studio as a place where each child can get individual attention, while the app supports them between visits. Together, he believes, the two help children play piano with both confidence and care.

Most weekday evenings in Rangsit, a line of children climbs the stairs, and the first one in reaches for the lamp. Kru Oat smiles every time. He is not training the next Scriabin, probably. He is helping children play music with clear eyes and patient hands, which seems like a fine thing to be doing.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Who was Vasily Safonov? A: Vasily Safonov (1852–1918) was a Russian pianist, conductor and teacher. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1885, served as its director from 1889 to 1905, and later conducted the New York Philharmonic and led the National Conservatory of Music in New York.

Q: Who were Safonov's famous students? A: His piano students at the Moscow Conservatory included Alexander Scriabin, Josef Lhévinne and Nikolai Medtner, all of whom became well-known musicians.

Q: What is Safonov's New Formula? A: New Formula for the Piano Teacher and Piano Student, published in 1915, is a short book of technical exercises and advice. It focuses on efficient ways to practise technique and is still read by some teachers today.

Choosing a piano teaching app comes down to three questions: does the online piano teaching application give specific feedback, does the AI piano teaching app adapt to your level, and does the online piano lessons app make it easy to practice a little every day? Piano teaching with AI should answer all three. Children who learn piano online stay motivated when their piano learning course and AI online piano course point to the same small goals. For families, this is the practical side of piano teaching and music teaching: it helps children learn music without pressure.

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