Philosophy

My Philosophy of What Makes Students Learn Their Best:

Music is an essential part of our human experience. Everyone deserves the opportunity for the best musical training. I strive to equip each of my students for lifetime music making. One skill that sets me apart from many other teachers is that I teach musical principals right from the start. As students advance, I stress that there is a heirarchy of principals, that if used correctly, yield music that is well played. I thus train my students to think for themselves by using the principals they have learned.  At a still more advanced level, I empower my students to think through possible solutions. There may be more than one good answer, and I celebrate their discoveries.  

I train all levels of students, from those who will become professionals, to those who will simply enjoy making music as amateurs. My goal is to add to the world more intelligent, heart-centered music makers and music lovers, whatever their level of accomplishment.

I give my students a wide base of musical skills while also cultivating an atmosphere of fun and creativity. From this solid and enjoyable foundation, emerge truly accomplished players who can do many things with their music: teach themselves, improvise, play by ear, sight read, sight sing and, of course, play beautifully.

Love is at the core of each piano lesson. I attend closely to each student’s unique preferences, strengths, and needs. I encourage, celebrate, strengthen, and help shape dreams into reality. 

Here are just a few of the musical skills I work to cultivate in my students:

               Physical dexterity/power/delicacy
               Relative pitch/chord recognition
               Theoretical understanding of form, phrase, and harmonic structure
               Fascination and emotional involvement with musical ideas and forms
               Creativity – composing, arranging, improvising
               Comprehension – understanding the thought process of a composer