About
Hello prospective students--thanks for visiting my profile! I am not currently accepting new students but if you'd like to be on a waitlist please let me know.
I am a full-time musician in the Twin Cities area teaching piano and voice lessons. I specialize in working with school-age kids but I currently have students of all ages
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As a teacher, my goal is to cultivate healthy mental practices within the study of music--no shaming will be found in my studio! I guide students to develop practice habits based on empirically proven motivational techniques, like progress mapping, affirmations, rewards, goal setting, and most importantly, working on fun music!
I have a master's degree in music theory and a bachelor's in music with an emphasis in vocal performance. I have been teaching or performing music full time for the last three years and adore working with my students!
If you have any questions or requests, please send me a message and I'll be happy to get back to you.
Specialties
Years experience
Able to read music
Lesson length
Student's age
Student has instrument
Interested musical styles
Photos and videos
Reviews
Betsy M.
Scott A.
Jack M.
Rajna m.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
My process generally depends on the age and goals of each student.
We decide on a method book or other course of instruction based on their experience level, preferred style of music, talents, and goals.
I keep a log of pieces/activities assigned in a practice sheet that also serves as a daily practice log. For younger students, I reward practice with stickers that they can accumulate to earn prizes.
My teaching goals are twofold: to cultivate an enjoyment of music and instill good practice habits. In order to do that I work to find pieces that students are really excited to work on, and reward practice and hard work, regardless of achievement.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have two years of experience teaching college students in one-on-one and group settings as well as many years of teaching young students. As the daughter of a teacher, I started young, helping in the classrom and teaching swimming lessons to kids age 12 to 6 months (yes, babies can learn basic water safety). I studied education in my undergrad and spent over 100 hours in diverse classrooms in addition to my coursework. I have been teaching full-time for about 6 months now and am loving every second of it! Dream job: achieved.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge $30 per 30 min lesson, $40/45 min and $55/hour and I give a 10% family discount for each additional student in a family.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
A few things are important to have in mind:
1. It is good to develop a clear idea of what kind (or all kinds) of music that you want to study and advocate for that in your lessons. We, as music teachers, want you to study what you love. If a teacher is not enthusiastic about working within your desired repertoire, keep looking for one that is.
2. In regards to the developing voice, I would not advise learning to manipulate vocal tone until the student has reached high school. Young singers, however, are very well served by learning to read music, sight-sing, and develop good intonation.