Teaching Philosophy & Enrollment
My goal is to provide students with a well-rounded piano education, emphasizing music reading and independent practice skills. I believe piano lessons are a gift you give your child and a valuable investment in his or her personal development.
The relationship between a piano teacher and his or her students and their parents often lasts for several years. I urge you to be careful about your choice of a teacher. There are piano teachers in this area to meet the needs of all types of students, and you will rarely find a teacher who is genuinely interested in or capable of being all things to all students.
If you are looking for intense instruction for your child to become a concert pianist, or, at the other extreme, you're simply looking for an entertaining recreational activity for your child, I am not the appropriate teacher. I am neither extremely serious nor extremely casual in my teaching methods. The students in my studio are well-rounded children who have the desire to study the piano and are willing to progress at a reasonable pace. Their parents are actively involved in their piano education and usually observe lessons.
Teaching is a profession, and I approach it as such. I teach because I love teaching children and I love the piano. There is great fulfillment in helping students develop their skills on the piano and watching their enjoyment of the process.
Parental Involvement
For more than 30 years, I have personally witnessed how piano lessons have changed students' lives for the better. Piano study includes moments of great fun, but also requires patience, sustained effort, and constant motivation. It is very different from most other activities in which your child is involved. Playing the piano, even at an average level, involves complex thinking skills and highly developed coordination. It takes time and repetition to develop those abilities. This is why regular practice is so important. Enrolled students are expected to practice a minimum of 30 minutes a day/five days a week and to arrive at lessons with assignments completed.
Successful students come from homes where there is an expectation of daily practice and a commitment to the long-term process of learning to play the piano. Parental encouragement, reminders, and rewards are essential. By enrolling your child in piano lessons, you, the parent, are making this commitment to guide your child through this process. Children don't yet have the ability to fully understand what that commitment means. Over the course of time, children experience varying degrees of excitement about most activities that require a long-term effort. They need the benefit of their parent's maturity to help them persevere through the inevitable plateaus, in addition to helping them celebrate their successes.