Teaching Philosophy
Disclaimer: I realize this section has waaay too many words. But if you are curious about how I approach teaching & piano lessons from a philosophical, emotional, and fundamental level - it’s all here.
Why I teach Music…
Musical experiences are some of the most profoundly inspiring experiences of my life. Music has taught me discipline, schooled me in delayed gratification, and given me a creative way to express myself. Playing piano is a tool for me to process difficult things, a form of self-therapy if you will. Music study has brought me face to face with the scarcity mindset of our culture and forced me to learn how to fight back the “never enough” voices that many of us experience in all areas of life. Practicing, performing, and memorizing music has stretched and challenged my brain and my physical coordination in ways I never imagined it would when I begged my mom for piano lessons at the age of 9. Most importantly, music has given me a way to connect with so many incredible people - through going to school, through teaching, and through ensembles in many different settings. My life has been and is being made richer by so many beautiful people that I have met through music.
I have come to realize that I am hardwired to give, to share, to encourage and to guide. My hope as a teacher is to share with my students at least a portion of the ways that music has benefited me. I consider it a privilege to guide individuals in discipline, creativity, self-expression, and developing a strong sense of worth in what they do. I get excited when I witness those moments of excitement as students rise above challenges and accomplish more than they thought they could. And I am humbled that I can help an individual hone a craft that can give them the opportunity to connect with others.
Who I teach…
I believe that all of these “gifts” of musical study apply to anyone, of any age, not only children. Moreover, music study is not just for people who are labeled as “talented”, but is a skill based art that can be cultivated and enjoyed by anyone. If you are a parent, the study of music is a gift you can give to your child to better equip them for many areas of life. It is of great value to begin music at an early age because as life progresses, it becomes harder to find time to fit piano lessons in. If you are an adult looking to fulfill that desire you have always had to play the piano, it is not too late for you! No matter the age of the student, musical training is beautiful because it fosters deep intelligence for you or your child, and has long lasting value even if lessons are pursued for a season and not an entire lifetime.
Why piano lessons?
With the myriad of instruments available it is hard to know which one is best for you and/or your child. Piano is one of the best instruments to begin studying music on because the way it is laid out makes sense to the beginning note reader. Also, it is a very fundamental and versatile instrument. The piano is used to accompany almost every other instrument and can be used easily for different styles of music and almost any setting you find yourself in.
What setting will I/my child learn in?
In a private lesson setting a student has the full attention of the teacher. Student and teacher can work on issues specific to that individual, and lessons can be tailored to suit the learning styles of the individual student. In the small group or paired lesson setting, students have opportunities to learn from each other in an energetic and peer motivated environment. With more than one student present it allows for ensembles and group music making activities as well as more ways to gamify the learning process.
It is important to equip students with the tools for becoming independent learners. To achieve this I work to create situations where students experience discovery learning and have ample opportunity to experience what they are learning in a hands on way. I believe that recall and application are two of the most important steps in the learning process. If you tell a child something they will usually agree with you, but if you ask them to explain a concept they just learned to you in their own words, they are motivated to form their own ideas from the very start. This begins to foster independence in creativity and self-expression, which are integral to music making.
What will I/my child learn?
My goal is to equip students with a well-rounded music education on the piano, through creativity, repertoire, technique, music theory, functional musicianship skills, and in the process demonstrate how much fun music can be! Students will have the opportunity to experience and play many varieties of music with a strong emphasis on the classical greats that have withstood the test of time. Students will not just learn how to play the piano, but begin to develop an understanding of how music as a whole is created through a blending of all the different musical elements.
View concerning commitment and parental involvement…
The younger the child, the more parental involvement will be needed for the child to succeed.
Parental attendance in the lesson is not required for students 6+, but I do not hinder it if the parent feels like they want to know what’s going on more to help the child at home. If the parent being in the room is interfering with the student’s focus or the student/teacher rapport, than the parent will be discouraged from attending the lesson. Music lessons are a triangle relationship between the student, teacher and parent. My role is to create successful learning and music making experiences that inspire and motivate the student to practice. But many of the daily rewards and struggles of actually making practice happen at home fall upon the student and their parent. That being said, you as the parent will be richly rewarded down the road for all your hard work in encouraging, motivating, and facilitating music lessons for your child. As an adult student, you will receive these rich rewards yourself.
The teachers’ role as a mentor in the lives of the student…
My own teachers, especially my piano teachers, were and are some of the people I looked up to most as a child and still look up to as an adult. I love mentor-ship, being mentored and getting to mentor others, so I value the opportunity to support and encourage my students in life as well as in music. Because music making is innately expressive and speaks to inward thoughts and feelings, sometimes emotions just come up and need acknowledged, heard, and processed. I am happy to become a sort of impromptu life coach when called for. However, I also recognize the need for boundaries to be placed on this and that functioning as a student’s piano teacher/music mentor is still my primary role in their lives.
The nitty gritty of how I approach piano instruction (if you are still reading):
Curricular Direction:
Students will be given self-direction in what music they play within . But when they are very young they don’t really know yet, they have no idea what’s out there. So for young students I will choose a method that suits both my curricular goals for the student as well as their age and interests.
I will model and engage students in the long term and short term goal setting process for their musical study.
Students can choose to participate in competitions/auditions, but will be required to play in recitals/basic performing opportunities. Music is meant to be shared! (Adult students can opt out of this, but are encouraged not to.)
Teaching Standards/Expectations:
Students will be expected to study several pieces/songs simultaneously, perfecting and memorizing selected ones.
Students will be able to drop certain pieces before they are perfected, once they have learned one or more valuable concepts from the piece.
Students will be encouraged to study certain pieces for only a week or two as an introduction or review.
Students will be expected to keep eyes on the score most of the time while playing a piece with the score.
Students will be expected to be able to count aloud with every piece while playing at some point in the learning process.
Students will be expected to achieve a certain amount of musical and technical growth each year - evaluated against themselves and their progress from the last year, not compared to other students.
How will materials and repertoire be chosen and studied?
Students will be allowed to learn and play music from varying genres of music, including arrangements, with an emphasis on the music being the appropriate level for their skills and containing some valuable concept/technique for them to grow from.
Curriculum will include study of repertoire and technique as well as theory and functional musicianship skills. ESPECIALLY functional musicianship skills.
Reading Approach:
A strong landmark and intervallic note reading approach will be used. Coupled with gamified forms of note drill at the piano for quick recognition, rote to read instruction, as well as plenty of opportunities to first hear what they are about to read.
Approach to Technique:
Technical mastery will be a vehicle that feeds into security and musicality of playing.
Technical exercises will prepare students for the demands of repertoire.
When it is impossible to get a student excited about technical exercises and warmups, technique will be addressed more extensively through repertoire or etudes in disguise.
Memorization Requirements:
Students will be expected to memorize certain pieces but not all pieces.
Students will be encouraged to maintain a rotating list of memorized well polished pieces that can be brushed up quickly and performed. A repertoire list of their favorites!
Practice Requirements;
Practice requirements will be tailored to age, level and needs of the student.
Students will be expected to practice even when they are not motivated to do so, because that will fuel motivation. But a lack of practice can stem from many things and is always open for discussion if you have concerns or issues with it.
Lesson continuation will depend on the greater average of how much they practice. If they have a bad few weeks or even month, no big deal. If their practicing suffers indefinitely with no improvement, discussions will need to be had with the parent about the students commitment level and continuation.