
Honolulu Piano Studio Excellence In Piano Performance Teaching
About
I am currently the president of the Honolulu Piano teachers' Assoc.
I moved from South Korea to Honolulu 6 years ago, and have maintained a successful
professional studio, teaching mostly young and gifted pianists, for the past 40 years.
I have successfully prepared students for audition and acceptance at the Juillard School, Manhattan School, Chopin Academy, in Warsaw, Poland, as well as to other fine schools.
I have a degree not only from Boston University in piano performance, but also a Masters in performance and Piano Pedagogy from Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX. where I was also Assistant to the Chair of the dept. from 1987 to 1990. During that time I was selected as Graduate Performance Student of the Year in 1988.
During a two year visit ( 1980-82) I studied music Therapy, taking most of the core courses,
while my husband began his doctorate in performance at the University of North Texas.
I was invited to teach and perform at the Schlern International Music festival in Italy,
Was invited to present as a panelist for the MTNA conference in Toronto, Canada,
and have lectured and presented video presentations of my students at the Fort Worth Piano Teachers Forum , and at Texas Christian University, pedagogy dept.
In South Korea I also directed an adult choir for more than 15 years,
While in Korea I was the Music Director for the Daegu American School from 1993 to 1995,
and organized and taught more than 800 students from grades 1 through 12
My background and musical experiences are varied, but my strength is teaching gifted young people.
I also find it most enjoyable.
Currently I enjoy several gifted students, and also teach other young people who though not as naturally gifted, seem to benefit from the same approach, which is focused on a broad range of repertoire, even from early studies, not so much focus on traditional lesson books: though I do use some Faber and Bastien and Alfred series books to supplement .
Performance readiness is a major focus, and I am always thrilled to help prepare a pianist for performance or audition.
I am demanding but specific about practice, so the student knows exactly how to practice, whether it be a technical or music requirement.
I also stress listening on the part of the student and understanding of history, composers and style .
Personally I enjoy a simple life with my pianist husband, Dr. Chung H Lee, a Korean professor, recently retired from University in S. Korea.
Thus my stay in South Korea for many years.
We have performed together as well over the years .
I also speak Korean and taught in Korean while living there.