How I Teach

Having Fun

I believe learning music should be a fun and rewarding experience, accompanied by a teacher with whom the student can form a strong and positive relationship. I believe learning is easiest and most productive when the student feels relaxed, comfortable and therefore able to open up and fall back on the relationship when struggling with certain concepts in the learning process. Having a good connection between teacher and student can help immensely with motivation and mastery of complex musical ideas.

Improving Life Skills

In addition to learning musical skills, piano lessons also teach important life skills, including perseverance, time management, discipline and emotional intelligence. I believe these skills are best learned, practiced and developed through a strong and encouraging relationship between student and teacher. Additionally, not every student learns and thrives in the same way. I believe the teacher is a critical part in figuring out how each student learns and finding the best way to help them thrive musically and emotionally.

Enjoying Music

Everyone should be able to experience the joy of music in whatever way they find most appealing. For some students, this means following a structured curriculum, focusing on scales, theory, note-reading and performance. For others, it means taking a more relaxed approach and not emphasizing performance or the traditional repertoire. Both methodologies are worthwhile and offer many shared benefits, including note-reading, basic theory and proper technique. It is important to me to know students’ goals and tailor lessons to ensure students are getting the most out of their lessons. My objective is to offer guidance to anyone who wishes to become their own music maker.

Learning Tradition

For the traditional student, I use the Piano Adventures method books as a foundation, which include a Lesson, Theory and Performance book. I also include A Dozen A Day, a technique book that helps with finger strength and dexterity. For very young students, I use Music For Little Mozarts as a starting point. It is important to me that students learn from a wide range of musical genres and therefore I also incorporate a range of styles, including pop, ragtime, classical, jazz and others. Broadening one’s exposure to unfamiliar music helps students identify their favorite styles as well as understand novel musical structure and composition. I believe learning about and discovering different composers is important for a well-rounded musical education. Together, students and I explore composers ranging from Bach and Chopin to Scott Joplin and John Williams. To help students get the most out of lessons, I implement different strategies besides song books, including worksheets, fun quizzes and iPad apps.

Playing for Recreation

For the recreational student, I utilize different sources, based on the goals and desires of the student. This can range from lead sheets with chord accompaniment to playing by ear or learning certain songs for personal enjoyment.

Performing at Recitals

I host recitals twice a year: one in December and one in spring. My recitals are never required, although most students voluntarily and happily perform. I strive to have anxiety free recitals, creating a happy and warm atmosphere filled with support, encouragement and fun.