Philosophy of Teaching
Safe Learning Environment
Providing a safe environment is my top priority. Students of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations and learning differences are welcome.
Fear of making mistakes stops many people from trying something new. I work from the belief that everyone wants to understand, and if they don’t understand, I can explain it differently. I encourage exploration, questions and feedback, and I reward effort, not perfection. Mistakes are simply an indicator the brain is catching on and forming new pathways. I encourage positive self-talk and teach students how to support themselves with patience and kindness while learning.
Student-Centered
While some aspects of learning are universal, everybody learns in unique ways. Some students are visual learners, some aural, and others tactile. I customize my teaching method to suit the student's learning style. I believe talent is something that is developed rather than an innate trait.
I have studied child development and pedagogy over 40 years of teaching, parenting and grand-parenting. I enjoy getting to know my students and see how learning piano positively affects multiple areas of their lives like focus, attention span, self-discipline, and respect. I gently encourage the development of these transferrable life skills.
Reading vs Playing by Ear
Reading music is not unlike reading books, and similar to the way a good reader makes a good speller, strong music-reading skills lead to being able to play by ear and compose music.
I use a wide variety of musical genres to develop diverse reading and playing capabilities. We will learn everything from classical, rock, blues, jazz, and holiday music.