adult starting piano but traditional or alternative approach ????

[davgtrek]

Hi all
new piano arrives today.
I have no formal music training ( bar recorder in primary school, i remember being well able to lash out the traditional tunes from the simple music score provided and my memory of the song but thats a good while ago ) but i play percussion & sing in a world music group. brazilian,cuban & african rhythms & song.

i want to play the piano for more contemporary pop/rock music ( maybe sing along at a later stage.. coldplay,keane the usual suspects ) but i love brazilian music & song ( all the mendez & gilbertos, "corcovado" etal) and i also want to be able to read sheet music. I like classical to an extent but its not my prime objective.

regardless of my piano ability down the line i want the practice & approach to leave me being able to read music and that knowledge to feed into our band and other projects.

I am prepared for years of frustration with little feedback and a very steep learning curve on the piano ( unlike the drums unfortunately ) but should i approach it from the classical/traditional teaching approach or contemporary, chords, ear approach or all. ( i'm afraid that lots of teachers would be more cassical/traditional orientated )

I dont have the funds for a teacher at present, or i may consider a lesson every month or two perhaps but I would need a book/dvd/online resource to teach myself in the meantime.

I appreciate the classical approach and its merits but at present I have a clear agenda/goal as end product, whether that matters at the start or not i am not sure. But i don't want to end up like so many piano students in being incapable of playing a non classical tune......

is the likes of the www.pianofundamentals.com "book"/approach crazy or cutting edge ?

sorry for very long post but any feedback welcome.

p