MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

IT IS MY GOAL TO DEVELOP IN EACH OF MY STUDENTS A LIFELONG LOVE OF MUSIC, AND MUSIC MAKING.  THIS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.  STUDENTS NEED A SOLID BASE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS, AURAL SKILLS, MUSIC THEORY AND MUSIC LITERACY TO CONFIDENTLY PLAY A WIDE VARIETY OF REPERTOIRE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.

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IT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH THEM HOW TO LEARN, SO THIS WILL BE A LIFELONG JOY.  I WANT THEM TO NOT NEED ME!  I WANT THEM TO LEARN PERSEVERANCE AND DELAYED GRATIFICATION, AND THEN EXPERIENCE THE WONDERFUL FEELING OF PRIDE ONCE THEY'VE ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL.  ESTABLISHING A WORK ETHIC FROM A YOUNG AGE ON THE PIANO BENCH, WILL TRANSLATE TO A SELF CONFIDENT INDIVIDUAL WITH THE SKILLS TO BREAK DOWN LARGE SCALE PROBLEMS IN TO SMALLER PARTS AND WORK THROUGH THEM.  BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND CONNECTIONS WILL HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER AREAS OF YOUR LIFE. 

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LEARNING TO EXPRESS ONESELF THROUGH MUSIC WILL LEAD TO BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH OTHERS.  LEARNING ABOUT COMPOSERS AND MUSIC HISTORY IS INHERENT TO PLAYING WITH EMOTION; BRINGING THE TWO DIMENSIONAL INK ON THE PAGE INTO AN EXPRESSION OF A FEELING OR IDEA.  MAKING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN A COMPOSER'S BACKGROUND, THE TIME PERIOD, AND THEIR MUSIC IS A SKILL THAT TRANSLATES TO OTHER EDUCATIONAL ENDEAVORS.  THESE ARE INVALUABLE SKILLS IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.

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IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, I EXPECT MY STUDENTS TO PRACTICE 5 OR MORE DAYS EACH WEEK.  CONSISTENT ATTENDANCE AND BEING PREPARED FOR THEIR LESSON IS ALSO EXPECTED.  PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR MUSIC WITH OTHERS AND TO LEARN WITH EACH OTHER REINFORCES THE JOY OF MUSIC MAKING.  MY STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER IN GROUP LESSONS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY PLAYING AT A NURSING HOME DURING THE YEAR, AS WELL AS PERFORMANCES AT FESTIVAL OF TREES AND A STUDIO RECITAL.  WHEN STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL NEEDED, WANTED, AND APPRECIATED BY OTHERS, IT AFFIRMS THAT THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IS WORTHWHILE.  THIS AFFIRMATION LEADS TO A LIFELONG LOVE OF MUSIC, AND MUSIC MAKING.