Teaching Philosophy

My purpose as a teacher is to guide the development of the whole musician by providing opportunities for learning and excellence in an environment of discovery and growth. My goal is for each student to develop a wide range of skills that will enable them to find fulfillment in making music throughout their lives. I believe that anyone who is willing to work hard can reap the many benefits of piano lessons, and I commit to giving my best effort to every student.

In my teaching, I strive to focus on teaching students rather than teaching music. Every student has individual needs, strengths, and interests; I adapt my teaching style and presentation of materials to each student. Especially important is fostering a love of music and the piano in each student. I hope that my passion for music, combined with the teaching skills I continue to cultivate, will inspire my students in this way.

I use a repertoire-based approach to educate students in performance, reading, theory, technique, aural skills, composition, and music history. I choose repertoire carefully and add supplementary materials or exercises in order to teach each of these areas through music rather than in isolation. I also encourage my students to study music from many genres and periods so that they will be versatile musicians.

Another essential part of my teaching philosophy is an emphasis on teaching students to practice. As a teacher, I want to make myself “unnecessary” -- that is, I want my students to eventually be able to appreciate and make music on their own. I regularly spend time in lessons teaching students effective practice techniques from the beginning to the end of the learning process. We also discuss various practice tools, including digital technology, that may be helpful. For young students, parent involvement is also crucial to success in piano lessons. I keep communication open with parents and work together with them to help students reach their musical goals. Young students will have the best success when their parents are involved in their daily practice.

I believe that achieving excellence is an incredibly rewarding experience. Whatever a student’s particular strengths, I endeavor to help them be excellent in the goals they set. In the process, I hope to help my students develop personal traits such as resilience, persistence, and confidence that will benefit them for life. In an increasingly distracted and disconnected world, music also gives us an opportunity to connect with each other on a deeply human level. I look forward to each opportunity to continue learning and connecting with others as a musician and teacher.