Personal Background and Philosophy
I grew up in a family of teachers who espoused a simple yet meaningful value system: one’s personal talents and energy are gifts. Extending these gifts to others is a responsibility and an opportunity. When I was young, it never crossed my mind that I would become a teacher, but this strong family commitment to nurturing and education planted the seed for my future career. I was fortunate to encounter wonderful teachers along my path. These individuals shaped who I am as a person and as a teacher.
Mind, Body, and Spirit
Performing music demands the highest level of functioning physically (technique), mentally (analysis), emotionally (communication), and spiritually (artistry). When I teach, I attend to all parts of a person. As a musician develops in one area, it becomes more apparent that another area needs attention. As the technique strengthens, one must turn attention to musical intent and analysis. As musical understanding increases, one needs to make more discoveries in the technique to carry more musical intent. One needs to be a good pianist, a good musician, and ultimately one needs to become an artist. Growth needs to happen on all of these dimensions for health. When one area develops too quickly, tension results.
Relationships
Teaching piano involves building a relationship between the student and the music. In order to do that effectively, one needs to understand the person as well as the instrument and the repertoire. Creating a sense of community within the studio adds support, meaning, motivation, and context for everyone. I am rewarded to know the individuals who study with me and am fascinated by working daily with the elements of music and expression.
Communication
I believe in direct, honest, warm, and encouraging communication and instruction. Humor is important. I expect students to be responsible at a level that they are capable of.
Intuition
Some of my favorite moments teaching are when the students smiles and says “how did you know that?” or “how did you figure that out?” The most meaningful discoveries are often made by maintaining a flow between mental observation and an open intuitive consciousness.
Practice
I emphasize efficiency and focus in practice. I teach students how to practice and how to teach themselves. Good practice means observing all levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The imagination should work in relationship with the analytical mind to solve physical problems and create musical results. In lessons, I often practice alongside the student. Chopin’s students remarked that one could not fail to improve because he practiced with them. I use this as a model.
Recordings – Musical Culture
Artistic growth is inspired by the work of past and contemporary artists. Listening – to symphonies, string quartets, and vocal music as well as piano repertoire – engenders an understanding of style, history, and a sense of sound and phrasing. Recorded music is a supplement to live performances. A life-long commitment to concert-going is vital for an pianist's ongoing development.
Technique
My physical approach to the keyboard revolves around naturalness, efficiency, and balance - power and ease. Technique is built from a relaxed arm to an appropriately supported hand. I work with students to build an effective communication between small muscles and big muscles. Both are necessary in healthy, virtuosic, and free piano technique. With smart, consistent practice and a keen understanding of physical principles, it is possible to build the foundations of a good technique later in life.
Demonstration
Demonstration is a crucial component of my teaching. I want my students to hear beautiful piano sound, pedaling, style, articulation, and phrasing. I use words in combination with sound to communicate ideas.
Breathing
For expression to be soulful, it must be connected to the breath. The breath is life’s first gift at birth, and it’s the last to part at death. In most religions, breath correlates with the spirit - the spirit is breath. For playing to be full of spirit, it has to be motivated by and connected to the breath.
Emotions
CPE Bach wrote that the performer must always be aware of "affect" as they are performing. Musicians must explore the emotional content of musical pieces. Building a narrative or an image can be helpful. It’s remarkable how a specific emotional quality can bring into focus the expressive elements of timing, phrasing, and touch..
Meaning
How does the piano, and music in general, fit within the community and the world? What role do we have? I frequently ask my students this question. “Why are you doing what you are doing?” and “What is this all about?” My sense is that there are many answers to these questions about music’s role in the world, and I want to help students reach their own passionate and personal conclusion about its importance. What I have found is that most answers lie at the heart of what makes us most human. The answers are related to issues of communication, expression, self-knowledge, and extending one’s gifts to the world.
Variety
For music to be extremely emotional and human, every parameter of expression must be fluid – nothing can be static. This includes pedaling, voicing, color, phrasing, timing and rubato, gesture, and articulation. The greatest pianists model this varied expression in the most natural way.
I grew up in a family of teachers who espoused a simple yet meaningful value system: one’s personal talents and energy are gifts. Extending these gifts to others is a responsibility and an opportunity. When I was young, it never crossed my mind that I would become a teacher, but this strong family commitment to nurturing and education planted the seed for my future career. I was fortunate to encounter wonderful teachers along my path. These individuals shaped who I am as a person and as a teacher.
Mind, Body, and Spirit
Performing music demands the highest level of functioning physically (technique), mentally (analysis), emotionally (communication), and spiritually (artistry). When I teach, I attend to all parts of a person. As a musician develops in one area, it becomes more apparent that another area needs attention. As the technique strengthens, one must turn attention to musical intent and analysis. As musical understanding increases, one needs to make more discoveries in the technique to carry more musical intent. One needs to be a good pianist, a good musician, and ultimately one needs to become an artist. Growth needs to happen on all of these dimensions for health. When one area develops too quickly, tension results.
Relationships
Teaching piano involves building a relationship between the student and the music. In order to do that effectively, one needs to understand the person as well as the instrument and the repertoire. Creating a sense of community within the studio adds support, meaning, motivation, and context for everyone. I am rewarded to know the individuals who study with me and am fascinated by working daily with the elements of music and expression.
Communication
I believe in direct, honest, warm, and encouraging communication and instruction. Humor is important. I expect students to be responsible at a level that they are capable of.
Intuition
Some of my favorite moments teaching are when the students smiles and says “how did you know that?” or “how did you figure that out?” The most meaningful discoveries are often made by maintaining a flow between mental observation and an open intuitive consciousness.
Practice
I emphasize efficiency and focus in practice. I teach students how to practice and how to teach themselves. Good practice means observing all levels – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The imagination should work in relationship with the analytical mind to solve physical problems and create musical results. In lessons, I often practice alongside the student. Chopin’s students remarked that one could not fail to improve because he practiced with them. I use this as a model.
Recordings – Musical Culture
Artistic growth is inspired by the work of past and contemporary artists. Listening – to symphonies, string quartets, and vocal music as well as piano repertoire – engenders an understanding of style, history, and a sense of sound and phrasing. Recorded music is a supplement to live performances. A life-long commitment to concert-going is vital for an pianist's ongoing development.
Technique
My physical approach to the keyboard revolves around naturalness, efficiency, and balance - power and ease. Technique is built from a relaxed arm to an appropriately supported hand. I work with students to build an effective communication between small muscles and big muscles. Both are necessary in healthy, virtuosic, and free piano technique. With smart, consistent practice and a keen understanding of physical principles, it is possible to build the foundations of a good technique later in life.
Demonstration
Demonstration is a crucial component of my teaching. I want my students to hear beautiful piano sound, pedaling, style, articulation, and phrasing. I use words in combination with sound to communicate ideas.
Breathing
For expression to be soulful, it must be connected to the breath. The breath is life’s first gift at birth, and it’s the last to part at death. In most religions, breath correlates with the spirit - the spirit is breath. For playing to be full of spirit, it has to be motivated by and connected to the breath.
Emotions
CPE Bach wrote that the performer must always be aware of "affect" as they are performing. Musicians must explore the emotional content of musical pieces. Building a narrative or an image can be helpful. It’s remarkable how a specific emotional quality can bring into focus the expressive elements of timing, phrasing, and touch..
Meaning
How does the piano, and music in general, fit within the community and the world? What role do we have? I frequently ask my students this question. “Why are you doing what you are doing?” and “What is this all about?” My sense is that there are many answers to these questions about music’s role in the world, and I want to help students reach their own passionate and personal conclusion about its importance. What I have found is that most answers lie at the heart of what makes us most human. The answers are related to issues of communication, expression, self-knowledge, and extending one’s gifts to the world.
Variety
For music to be extremely emotional and human, every parameter of expression must be fluid – nothing can be static. This includes pedaling, voicing, color, phrasing, timing and rubato, gesture, and articulation. The greatest pianists model this varied expression in the most natural way.
