About
I get results and I can see that on the faces of my students and their parents. With a background of a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Music in Voice, plus over 30 years of experience teaching all kinds of students, I have learned to be efficient and produce results as well as choose the proper materials that will appeal to each student.
I continue to be a performing musician and that adds to my abilities to produce musical resullts with students. The City Choir of Washington is the performance group that I work with and we do classical performances with a majority of our works being masses from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc.
FinleysMusicStudio.com
I love awakening the AHA moments in children's learning. I love the joy that music brings to children. Teaching children to decode music is a skill that translates into their decoding in math, reading, and all their subjects. I earnestly believe that music strengthens all learning for each child.
Highlights
Reviews
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First of all, I learn what they already know and develop a plan to suit their abilites. I know what skills need to be learned and locate the proper materials to assist them in their music pursuits.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy, three levels of Orff-Schulwerk Certification, multiple workshops and teacher training workshops, graduate training from Catholic University, Chapman University and George Mason University. I am a member of Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association,and Music Educators National Association.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
30 minutes weekly $40.00 per lesson
45 minutes weekly $60.00 per lesson
Registration fee of $25.00 and I purchase all materials and bill parents for materials along with their monthly invoices.
How did you get started teaching?
I have been teaching since I was 15 years old when I was teaching the Junior Choir at my local church.
What types of students have you worked with?
Every kind of child you can imagine. In public schools, I had many children who were gifted, but also worked with children who had special needs including dyslexia, ADHD, limited use of limbs, impaired hearing, impaired sight. Having 600 children every week in my music classroom exposed me to every kind of learning style. I have to figure out what will work with each student.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
The last recital the children gave was one with 15 children, their parents and grandparents. It was held at Jordan Kitts Music in Fairfax, VA. I was extremebly proud of the work that each child had done and each was properly prepared and proud of their own accomplishments. It was a wonderful family event and we are looking forward to a spring recital now.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Look for one who personalizes the program to fit your child's needs. This will take a few weeks for the teacher to learn just how to appeal to the child to bring out his/her best learning practices. Stay away from packaged programs where one size fits all. Some children learn best with one program and some learn better with a different program. A parent may not know which teacher to hire. I recommend a trial lesson for each student. In that lesson, the family can assess the teacher and see if that teacher will be a good fit.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
How much do you expect me to practice?
Can my parent attend my lessons?
Do I have to learn scales and arpeggios?
Will I be learning the major composers works?
Do you do computer or Ipad activities as part of the assignments?