Our Story

It all started 5 years ago. A parent of my former student in a music institution I used to teach calls me one raining night. She sounds troubled and disappointed. You know, when you can just tell when a person is hopeless just by hearing them? It was so obvious to the point that the first thing I told her was, “are you okay?” Probably the worst thing to ask a person when they’re hopeless.

It was pouring with rain that night and I was sitting in my car as I listen to her story, how after I left the institution to pursue my own teaching studio, her son who used to adore the piano, the concept of the piano, and his time with me as we secretly went against the music institutions curriculum, solely to explore and unleash his creativity, now despises his artistic journey. He quit. For 2 years. And you might be wondering why I “left” the music institution. I didn’t leave, I got fired. I thank my Majesty for that incident. Because me getting fired was the best turning point in my artistic journey with myself and with future students of Chris’Gallery.

So, she tells me, “Chris. I went back to that academy to get your phone number.” Shocked, I ask her “after 2 years??” And she answers “yeah. It was embarrassing but they gave your phone number to me. It was embarrassing because I was begging them, there were kids and parents waiting in the lobby.” Until today, I can never forget word for word of that conversation I had with her.

The next thing I hear from the phone is “Chris, can you take care of J? It’s been two years but he’s been continuing to play on his own. Can you please continue to teach him how you used to?” That moment was another turning point, this time for the vision of Chris’Gallery. Despite all the stereotypes and the standard curriculum of how young children learned piano, I chose to go against piano books, theory books, references that haven’t been updated for years and offer to students a new way of learning the piano. I asked myself, “What if every lesson is tailored from student to student? Tailored in a sense that all the sources used during Chris’Gallery lessons will be crafted in-house, so that it may serve the student’s interest, engagement, and creativity? The question was not is this possible, because that is the reason why I got fired in the first place. The question is, how much of this can I handle?

At that point in time, I had only two students. And there were brothers. Their father graciously trusted me and my lessons, as he was tired too of their kids being the same as all the others, playing the same pieces, overworking teachers teaching the same things like machines. That being said, I was in my experiment mode with them. Some things worked and some things didn’t. For example, children do not want to be TAUGHT. They want to play. How well can an educator implant a topic by engagement and playing will determine the demand and fee of an early childhood educator. As I had the opportunity to work with more students, more experiments. I tried teaching a 7 year old child how to read notes in a standardized way. He was not having it. I had to change it up fast. One day, I see a Skittle Ad and the guys with deep voice says “Feel the rainbow, taste the rainbow”. Instantly, I got up, and I drew some notes with colors that I think represents each notes. He was all over it. And then he got curious, “Chris what if we mix this color and this color what would it sound like?” The rest is history, that 7 year student now sightreads Bach for fun… oh how the tables have turned. He asks ME what the color of a certain piece is now. (Yup, he refers all sounds to colors to this day). He became a Chris’Gallery composer at the age of 11, while the two brothers are still continuing their artistic journeys with Chris’Gallery.

The 1% will create. The 99% will consume, play, or use the creations of the 1%. Students of Chris’Gallery is that 1%. You might be wondering what happened with the former student? He is currently studying in college with music scholarship being granted every year for his excellence in composing and playing.

It is time. Welcome to the new era of learning piano, your piano journey starts and ends with Chris’Gallery. (We are not joking, it will actually end with Chris’Gallery). Like you know how you love something so much that you just can’t go back? Yeah that’s us.

Chris Jeon, President

Chris’Gallery (New York)

Chris’Gallery Lesson Model (General)

(Phase 1)

Through the use of tailored-made materials and components, including compositions, the student will start his journey as follows:

Introduction to notes (by series of colors), we call it “coltes.” /color+notes./

Introduction to rhythm, and the use of rhythm with coltes! (This is where the student will be introduced to composing.)

By this time, student is comfortable on recognizing and playing all the notes with some nice rhythms on the keyboard. Also, the student will see colors by what he hears…. yeah it sounds weird but this will enhance imagination to another dimension.

(Phase 2)

Student will start CGSP, Chris’Gallery Series Project. Student picks a theme, and a series of fresh new tailored compositions in-house by Chris’Gallery will begin its production. Additionally, all supplemental studies for each compositions, such as mini-etudes, daily work, theory worksheets, games, "speed runs” will be produced in-house in Chris’Gallery as well. While the student engages in CGSP, the student is welcome to study and take all supplemental exams such as NYSSMA, ABRSM, etc. This is the phase where students will learn how to perform in a way that captures the audience through playing their CGSP in front of a fellow CG students, with discussions and feedbacks implemented.

(Phase 3)

The most rewarding phase. This is where CG lessons are evolved to discussions and conversations. This is where Chris’Gallery approves the student to be an artist, not just any artist, but an artist from Chris’Gallery. They are able to participate in team meetings of Chris’Gallery, play in Chris’Concerts, give advices to students, have opportunities to teach younger students, and for the student to express himself through his compositions, becoming an ambassador of Fine-Art, at Chris’Gallery.