My own piano teacher saw in me the makings of a piano teacher when I was still in high school. She insisted that she had the best job in the world and I believed her. Fortunately----I still believe her! Life lessons are often woven directly into the fabric of music lessons: challenges can be faced and conquered and even if you stumble you can still keep going. Music also offers an emotional outlet and the opportunity to be bold, be creative, and take chances. There is also a very real benefit to being able to sit down with a focused goal in mind, whether you’re working on a new piece of music or writing your resume.

 

I use a variety of techniques in lessons that include demonstration, questioning, and discovery. I like to guide students to discover things on their own, which helps them to retain the information better. Parental involvement in lessons is essential for young students. Older students still need to feel parental support which can range in taking lesson notes for your child to just checking in occasionally. Not every student learns the same way, so I draw from several resources to connect with each student. I might use familiar nursery rhymes, typical method books, lead sheets, scores found on the internet, or pop songs!

 

My goal is to instill in each student a lifelong love of music--much like my piano teacher did for me.

Philosophy