TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Communication
I interact with my students in a way that is honest, open, direct, and encouraging. Humor is important. My communication style is crafted with the goal of enabling my students to in turn be able to communicate more fully with their own audiences, listeners, and perhaps even students.
Demonstration
Demonstration constitutes a crucial part of my teaching. Whether working in the classroom or in private lessons, I want my students to experience my vision for their success. I move fluidly between communicating ideas to my students through words and sounds, and I strive to give my students the best possible pianistic and musical model. Our work relies on experiential and empirical transmission of skills, knowledge, and modes of thought: in the art of music we transition fluidly between the realms of sound, sensation, and physical movement; this constitutes much of the “what” that leads to refined practice, musical thought, and creativity.
Practice
I emphasize efficient and expressive strategies to help my students use their practice time as efficiently and effectively as possible. I draw many of the practice techniques that I teach from principles of Gestalt psychology, physiology, and musical analysis. I encourage my students to integrate their analytical mind and their creative imagination in order to solve musical and physical problems.
Big Questions
I often ask questions of my students—both literal and rhetorical: How can we solve “X” difficulty? Why are we interested in “Y”? Questions encourage dialogue and go both ways; that is, I encourage my students to bring theirs to me. I pledge to have an answer for any “Why are we doing this?” question, and relish the curiosity that comes from asking difficult questions.
Performance
I encourage my students to perform frequently, and I provide regular studio classes in which they can practice getting nervous in a friendly, constructive environment. Performance anxiety, especially with regard to memory, is an important issue for all musicians; in my teaching and performing I use Alexander Technique principles and Attention and Memory Training methods developed by Dr. Raymond Gottlieb and Dr. Robert Pepper.
History, Analysis, and Meaning
Classical art music is, in large part, the product of past cultural climates, and the ways in which this repertoire is relevant in the twenty-first century is not always readily apparent. I believe that as an educator I have a responsibility to provide my students with ways of identifying closely with the music they study. I manifest this in my teaching through work in historical performance practice, musical analysis and perception, and historically influenced discussions of musical style, culture, and experience.
Technique
My physical approach to the piano focuses on a natural, healthy, and efficient use of the body. I work to build my students’ technique through comfortable, balanced arm weight and effective communication between large and small muscle groups. I teach technique not as an end in itself, but as a means by which my students are able to most freely project their complete expressive potential. I do not adopt a single technical regimen, for no two students are identical, nor are all students’ needs the same. While technique is essential, we approach even the traditional “bread and butter” of technical skills (scales, arpeggios, chords, trills, etc.) in the context of repertoire—when possible—and always with music-making in mind.
STUDIO POLICIES
LEARNING GOALS
1. Musicianship and musical growth through practice, preparation and performance of standard piano repertoire;
2. Understanding important stylistic and historical features of the instrument and repertoire;
3. Fluency in analysis of repertoire, suitable for presentation to musical and non-musical audiences;
4. Knowledge of musical vocabulary pertinent to repertoire;
5. Development of healthy, productive practice techniques; and
6. Appreciation for the rich and diverse landscape of pianism in the modern age.
INSTRUCTOR COMMITMENTS
As your instructor, I am committed to guiding your growth as a musician, pianist, and person. Progress takes time and effort by all parties, and my job is to uphold my end of our mutual contract. I am always available as a resource to you—for lessons, advice, repertoire, and more. I will have your best interests in mind at all times. I will provide opportunities for you to engage different aspects of piano study, including performance, concert attendance, health and wellness at the instrument, pedagogy, historical listening, and discussion.
TUITION AND PAYMENT
Please contact me for current rates.
These fees reserve a weekly time, much like one would pay rent. Should you miss a lesson, I ask for a minimum of 24 hours’ notice; otherwise the complete amount will be due.
Additional costs for materials, entrance fees for adjudicated competitions (OMTA events such as Syllabus, etc.) may apply and will be communicated in advance.
Payments accepted include cash, check, and Venmo.
TECHNOLOGY
Recording lessons—either by video or audio or both—is permitted and encouraged as a practice aid.
During distance lessons, please do your best to achieve a technical setup along the lines outlined in my Distance Lesson handout (separate document).
COMMUNICATION
Fastest modes of communication are phone and text. Please allow 24-36 hours for an email reply, and 6-8 hours for a phone or text reply. Note that I do not typically return emails or texts before 7:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m., and for the sake of healthy work/life balance, I maintain some distance from communication devices on weekends and holidays.
selected PRACTICE GUIDELINEs
Courtesy of Michael Callahan, Phd
1. Practice frequently - Practice early enough in the day to allow for two or more short practice sessions each day, rather than waiting until late at night when it may be harder to focus. Cramming doesn’t work.
2. Use a metronome, and use it creatively.
3. Find your tonality - Always know the key in which you are performing or practicing. Do this at the piano by playing “do” and (once we’ve done these in lessons), a short diatonic melody or harmonic paradigm. Next, play the tonic triad and the diatonic scale up and down.
4. Practice with variety - Vary the tempo. Vary the key, if you’re adventurous. Vary the order in which you practice skills, pieces, passages, etc. If practice sessions become boring, they need more variety! If you find yourself at a loss for different ways to practice, contact me—I’ll share more with you!
5. Practice thoughtfully - Diagnose what you can/cannot do. Avoid mere note repetition. Focus on passages that are challenging and try to analyze what is hard about it. Work that part slowly until you have it.
6. Practice reflectively - Take notes of which methods helped most and which were not helpful. Practice journals can be helpful.
7. Practice for long-term vs. short-term gains - Avoid viewing practice/assignments as checklists that can be completed and then shelved. Instead, view them as snapshots taken along a continuous journey of skill development that extends throughout and beyond the day/week/month/piece. Everything that we do is a work in progress.