Teaching Experience
I have taught piano since I was 14 years old. It wasn’t necessarily what I intended to do at that time, but people who heard me perform would ask me to teach their children and I was too embarrassed to say no! I have taught ever since. While attending Western Washington University, I was asked to teach the Aural and Keyboard Skills class for music majors, which was a privilege and great experience. I taught two classes per week for one year, while I was an undergraduate.
I enjoy teaching my students so very much. It is such a joy to get to know them as individuals and watch their progress as the years go by. I gain lifelong friends as they grow. It makes me very happy to see them obtain a skill that will give them a lifetime of music to enjoy.
Piano Literature
The foundation for my teaching is classical music. I feel that is the best possible education a piano student can have. But it doesn't mean that my students don't play other genres - they do! I have many students who love jazz, rags and other styles of music. (I, myself, sing and perform jazz music - www.theunknowns.band.) I use method books, along with supplemental books, approximately for the first two years. A few of the methods that I like to use are the Frances Clark Music Tree Series, Celebration Series from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Succeeding at the Piano by Helen Marlais.
Technical Studies
Each student has a notebook with dividers for music history, repertoire, theory, music terms, etc. They are given a skill sheet in which we keep track of each skill they are currently working on such as arpeggios, inversions, major and minor scales, cadences, etc. Sometimes we will include books such as Czerny, Hanon, Fingerpower by Schaum to learn and practice. The student will do some improvisation, learn how to supply their own harmonies to a melody line, work on sight reading, ear training and music theory.
I enjoy teaching my students so very much. It is such a joy to get to know them as individuals and watch their progress as the years go by. I gain lifelong friends as they grow. It makes me very happy to see them obtain a skill that will give them a lifetime of music to enjoy.
Piano Literature
The foundation for my teaching is classical music. I feel that is the best possible education a piano student can have. But it doesn't mean that my students don't play other genres - they do! I have many students who love jazz, rags and other styles of music. (I, myself, sing and perform jazz music - www.theunknowns.band.) I use method books, along with supplemental books, approximately for the first two years. A few of the methods that I like to use are the Frances Clark Music Tree Series, Celebration Series from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Succeeding at the Piano by Helen Marlais.
Technical Studies
Each student has a notebook with dividers for music history, repertoire, theory, music terms, etc. They are given a skill sheet in which we keep track of each skill they are currently working on such as arpeggios, inversions, major and minor scales, cadences, etc. Sometimes we will include books such as Czerny, Hanon, Fingerpower by Schaum to learn and practice. The student will do some improvisation, learn how to supply their own harmonies to a melody line, work on sight reading, ear training and music theory.