About
My lessons are not "academically" driven, lessons are fun and engaging. I do not teach a student more than 6 months unless they decide to continue. The max I will ever teach a student is 2 years. By the end of the 2nd year my students would have gained the skill of playing classical music and jazz.
I enjoy watching my students graduate to the next level of musical studies and increase in their musical awareness. I also enjoy my students being creative in their own style of music.
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Sharon S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First and foremost I give a general assessment (motor skills and background experience in music, etc.). I then have my student write down their goals and what they really want to achieve in my lessons. Because everyone has some kind of musical background whether its beginner or advanced I do my best to fill in the gaps so my student is well rounded.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I got my music education at the University of Hawaii. I Studied piano studies and music theory. I learned playing by ear on my own and have also been a student of a college professor during my college years. I have played the keyboard for numerous churches which have trained my ear to read chord charts and other forms of music materials.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
My lessons are 30 minutes long. I have 4 week classes for $100 for ages 7 and up. Ages 4-6 years old class is 8 weeks long for $200.
How did you get started teaching?
I actually got my first student while I was in college. I played a lot for weddings and I got approached if I am available to teach and I said yes. Shortly after that, word spread and I acquired more students. If you want to just learn to play for fun I'm here for you as well as the advanced musician.
What types of students have you worked with?
My youngest student was 5 years old and my oldest 35+ years old. Most of my adult students had no previous experience so they started off as beginners. One of my adult student stayed with me for 2 years till she graduated from high school.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I taught at a local school teaching piano group lessons for the spring. I truly enjoyed it though it was challenging because of the wide range of ages I taught. I just started teaching on-line and I enjoy it.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I would say to choose a teacher that makes her lessons fun. If one is not enjoying music it becomes "forced" and it doesn't become heartfelt. At the same time, education is important. And to go further, ask the teacher with any performance and or composition experience. If so, all that experience can be shared with the students and they can learn a whole lot more than just learning to read musical notes.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
The goals of the student should share it with the teacher so that the teacher can develop a lesson plan for the goals to be reached. Sometimes parents will enroll their children not knowing that they don't have the dexterity to be a successfuly piano player and the child struggles. On the other hand, there are those students that have a very good ear for music but their parents don't enroll them and so their talent goes untapped.