About
Greetings! I love to brighten up people's lives by encouraging their individual musical interests and paying forward the gift of satisfaction that comes from a little or a lot of piano playing skills. My academic background is deeply rooted in education, and I am a passionate believer in different intelligences and individual learning styles. For this reason, I tailor each student's learning process to their personal strengths and interests. For example, if you or your child learn easiest through visualising concrete ideas or pictures and have a passion for Star Wars, Scott Joplin or Sponge Bob, then my method of teaching notation, music reading etc will reflect those qualities directly! This keeps teaching fresh and interesting for me, which means more fun and satisfaction for you and yours! I integrate essentials such as music theory in the same way- often using themes for interest- and also enjoy exploring composing, improvisation and/or music technology where there is an interest.
My aim is to facilitate breadth of experience (so, think a variety of different styles of music), solid fundamental skills (many of which are transferable to other instruments and artistic disciplines) and personal/shareable joy in the magic of piano proficiency.
If you are looking for a pushy, strictly classical, Carnegie-prep teacher- I am not your gal!
If you need flexibility, are motivated mostly by the pleasure of playing music you love and have a sense of humour and adventure, please drop me a text!
I love it when students surprize themselves with their achievements!
I love it when I arrive for a lesson and the student says " I heard this cool song this week- can I learn that next?"
I love getting to know the personalities and learning styles of my students so that I can adjust my teaching to make it a more natural, accessible process.
I love the joy, exploration and collaboration that emerges from committing to a challenging process together and feeling the satisfaction of mastery.
Photos and videos
Reviews
Trudy N.
Brian N.
Lisa S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Hand/body position and Rhythm first! Picking out personal favourites to refine ear/tone/interval accuracy and develop sense of steady beat. Fundamentals and core "musicality".
For absolute beginners, note-reading will be developed via a method that suits the personal learning-style. Forget "Every Good Boy" and his "Football"- there are many more intuitive ways of learning to read music!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have certification from the Royal Schools of Music Examination Board (UK) in Piano, Clarinet and Voice.
I have Bachelors degrees in Drama (including musical theatre), English and Education (teaching).
I have a Masters in Special Education.
I have been teaching since 1992 in England and the United States.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
30 minute lesson= $30 at my home, $35 at yours.
45 minute lesson= $35 at my home, $42 at yours.
60 minute lesson= $45 at my home, $50 at yours.
Payments may be made monthly or in 10 week sessions.
Some music book purchases may be required in addition.
How did you get started teaching?
My first private music teaching students were high school teenagers who were in my Drama class, wanting to supplement their acting skills with piano and/or voice proficiency to add to their university applications.
This quickly expanded to neighboring younger children, and eventually to adults wishing to reconnect with long-lost musical abilities, or to pursue a lifelong dream to play, purely for their own pleasure.