FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I believe, as an educator in any field, we have the responsibility to our students to continuously improve and learn. A stagnant learner, is a failing teacher. Because of that belief, I'm constantly looking to improve not only my teaching but also my playing. I just recently attended the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy in Illinois on a full scholarship and learned about the myriad of music learning apps and new technology that will help students in my studio learn and grow even faster. I also continue to sit in, learn, and contribute in masterclasses, lessons, and forums at the Cole Conservatory of Music so that my advanced students continue to receive the most up to date information on advanced technique and repertoire. In addition to that, I continue to read and follow up on professional keyboard publications like Clavier Companion and the Piano Explorer. I also follow and learn from several popular blogs by piano teachers all over the United States. And lastly, my ongoing education is not complete without attending amazing classical concerts regularly. I believe the ticket cost is a small price to pay for the inspiration and motivation these concerts provide.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Your child's first piano teacher is the most important. It is when the foundations of piano technique and many important habits are formed and musical concepts are taught. From my experience with transfer students as a piano teacher, even just a couple months of thoughtless and thoughtlessly sequenced teaching can create bad habits that take years to correct. Choose your child's first piano teacher diligently even if you are merely gauging his/her interest level--a good piano teacher does wonders for a child's interest level and progress. The importance of those first month's lessons can not be overestimated.
- What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
I think one of the most prevalent--and damaging--myths out there about piano teachers is that if somebody can play the piano, they can teach it. Playing piano is a very specialized skill with lots of immediate benefits and even more life-long benefits; teaching piano is an even more specialized skill especially at the beginning stages where knowledge of learning styles and child development stages are crucial. Would you let somebody fix your car just because they know how to drive one? Teaching piano and playing the piano require completely different skill sets, just because someone can play the piano well doesn't mean that they can teach piano well also.