How the "Payam Method" keeps the joy in learning piano

Learning to play the piano has long been associated with rigid lessons, endless scales, and strict adherence to classical repertoire. Rarely has it been considered fun. But now, Payam Khastkhodaei wants to change that.

This week on 60 Minutes, correspondent Bill Whitaker reports on Khastkhodaei's new method of teaching piano, which he calls the "Payam Method." Khastkhodaei's philosophy is simple: students learn best when they are engaged, motivated, and allowed to play music they love. Learning to read music and to understand scales can come later. 

Whitaker knows firsthand how discouraging traditional piano instruction can be. He recalls his own childhood lessons as rigid and unforgiving: scales first, then Beethoven, with little room for exploration or enjoyment. "I was sort of lost by year two," Whitaker admitted with a laugh. "Never caught up. I was a terrible student."

Khastkhodaei's approach is different.

Instead of following a single method book or fixed curriculum, the Payam Method is personalized for every student. A 4-year-old might begin with nursery rhymes. A 6- or 7-year-old could move on to songs from movies. By the time students are 10, they may be learning music from their favorite video games. For Khastkhodaei, the genre matters less than the engagement.

"No matter their age, no matter the kind of music they like, we're able to write it up, teaching the specific technique when you learn," Khastkhodaei explained to Whitaker.

He compared his approach to teaching English literature. Assigning a student to read "The Odyssey" every night might be engaging for some, but not for everyone. Giving students the freedom to choose what they read, while still holding them accountable for learning the fundamentals, makes all the difference, according to Khastkhodaei. The same principle applies to the piano.

"We're not forcing you to learn specific songs," he says. "We're forcing you to learn the techniques, but in songs you actually like."

At the heart of Payam's approach is the belief that students should "play at the piano," not just play the piano. Khastkhodaei delays formal instruction in scales and classical repertoire, which he says can take away enjoyment and creativity.

"Classical theory tends to strip the joy," Khastkhodaei said. "It makes everyone play the same way."

Instead, his students are encouraged to interpret music through their own emotions and experiences. Khastkhodaei pointed out that even great composers like Beethoven never played a piece the same way twice. Mood, feeling, and interpretation always mattered.

To demonstrate, Khastkhodaei sat at the piano and played the same notes in different emotional states — happy, sad, anxious. Though the notes remained unchanged, the feeling of the music shifted dramatically.

"It's the same notes," Khastkhodaei explained. "But it always has a different variation based on my mood and my feelings in that specific second when I'm playing."

Students in Khastkhodaei's schools, called Payam Music, learn not only classical theory, but also elements of jazz, waltzes, and music from cultures around the world.

A familiar melody like "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Khastkhodaei demonstrated, can be a teaching tool for creativity. Played in a minor key, it transforms into what Khastkhodaei jokingly called "Ode to Misery." With sharper rhythms and tension, it can become "Ode to Anxiety."

The goal, he said, is expression, not imitation.

"When two students play the same song back-to-back, it should sound different," Khastkhodaei told Whitaker. "Anyone can learn to read off a piece of paper. But show me why it's special to you. How do you play it?"

Today, Payam Music provides lessons online and has physical locations in California, Maryland, New York and Washington state. Additional locations are planned nationwide.

The video above was produced by Brit McCandless Farmer and edited by Scott Rosann. 

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• Music