My Teaching Philosophy
The ability to tell a story and make a statement through music is one way in which individuals can express their personal opinions. As a professional musician, it is my mission to provide students with knowledge of technical, musical, historical, and expressive elements that will allow them to share their unique ideas with the world. My goal as a teacher is to allow my students to develop an understanding of the history behind each piece that they learn and provide a variety of methods that will allow them to tell their own story. Beginner students will learn practice techniques and exercises that will help them create beautiful sounds that evoke different personalities from their instrument. Advanced students will continue to work on fundamental exercises and experiment with a variety of ways to create different emotions and express different ideas through their playing. My main artistic focus is to enable students to create their own distinctive interpretations.Weekly private lessons will be individually tailored based on each students’ interests and goals. I encourage students to explore their own independent musical ideas and be committed to their expressions. As a mentor, I will strengthen my students’ confidence and self-motivation as musicians and as individuals. Lessons will primarily be focused on technique exercises, polishing repertoire, and expanding students’ knowledge. I will cultivate curiosity and support students in accomplishing short-term and long-term goals.Through bi-weekly studio classes, all students will be a part of an inspiring session in which they will perform for each other and provide honest and positive feedback. Students in my studio will encourage and motivate each other to become well-rounded musicians. Studio class will also consist of lectures, presentations, and group discussions.I strongly advocate for a comprehensive knowledge of analysis and historical knowledge of repertoire that students learn because it allows them to evaluate and understand the music on a deeper level. Knowing the historical context in which a piece was composed and what the composer was going through at that time enables students to understand the music on a personal level with which they can connect. It also encourages them to be creative in their own approach to the music. Additionally, understanding the music theory and analysis of the piece will help students to formulate an educated decision on musical expressions and sound quality they want to create based on the harmonies.As an avid chamber musician, I strongly encourage my students to collaborate amongst each other and with our studio pianist through opportunities that arise outside of the studio. Collaborating with other musicians allows students to develop strong listening skills and fosters strong verbal and musical communication skills. Yearly studio recitals provide students with an opportunity to perform solo and collaborative pieces that they have been working on.I believe it is my responsibility to cultivate a trusting teacher-student relationship that encourages students to become lifelong learners. The overall goal of my teaching philosophy is to support students throughout their musical journey.** All lessons will be ONLINE for the 2020/21 Academic school year **
