Teaching Philosophy
It is my belief that music education is a crucial necessity to foment well-balanced, rounded, and hardworking individuals. Teaching music should be a fun activity for all ages, and the discipline necessary to make music beautiful is something that all students should be able to use in every aspect of their lives, regardless of their career prospects. Being a good musician entails practicing daily, being able to work with others, and allowing yourself to create attainable goals which will allow improvement. Time management is also a crucial aspect of effective musicianship - planning for when you will practice, and how you will manage playing during your practice time. Being a musician is holistic; teaching styles that have proven most effective for myself emphasize such an approach. My teaching closely follows a similar style.
Pedagogy and Practicum
I have experience teaching students of all ages, but especially love working with students who are interested in pursuing music as a career. For all students, I emphasize the following:
A thorough focus on left hand technique, with specific work on finger patterning, scales, and intonation (with special attention to singing/hearing intervals).
An early introduction to expressive intonation and how it changes relative to keys.
A thorough focus on right hand technique through relevant repertoire/excerpts/etc.
Maintaining a loose hand frame, and ways to prevent tension.
Thorough discussions of set-up and release while playing (more for advanced students)
Practice techniques, and rehearsal techniques for ensemble playing