Teaching Philosophy

Realistically, few students who begin private lessons in elementary school will pursue music throughout high school. Even fewer will study music in college, and still fewer will choose music as a career. And even for those very few who attempt a musical career, almost all will find it a necessity to hold some additional job to get food on the table, for part, if not all, of their working lives. Although I certainly provide the necessary instruction for a student who desires a career in music, I understand and support that my career path is not the only valid one, and the intention to have a career in music should not be a prerequisite for high-quality music instruction. That is why I do not measure success by awards, the number of students who pursue a career in music, or how much money I can make. I feel that a student has had a successful experience with me when:

• They develop their own preferences rather than blindly taking on those of their friends' or whatever commercial media decides to pump at them.
• They understand that they alone can be responsible for their own learning and successes, and to make good decisions based on that knowledge.
• They know how to set goals and plan steps to achieve those goals.
• They know the difference between a goal that is personally meaningful and a goal to meet an external expectation, and have the passion to reach the former and the discipline to reach the latter.

I view the more conventionally measured aspects of my students' achievements as by-products of the above goals. Standing out in a contest, audition, or performance is wonderful recognition for a job well done, but is not the reason for doing the job well. I do provide several performance opportunities and short-term contests throughout the year, because preparing for them is one way to learn about goals, responsibility, and discipline. I also encourage students to participate in festivals and contests that involve students from around the city or state. The emphasis at all times, though, remains on the musical growth and self-expression of the individual student.

Technically, my voice teaching is based on the principles of Somatic Voicework® The LoVetri Method, and my piano teaching is based on the Russian piano technique as passed on to me from several graduates of the Moscow Conservatory. In the beginning levels, I emphasize a solid basic technical approach and the development of solid reading skills. It is very important to me that the student really owns what we have worked on, so if they encountered a new piece that incorporated the same concepts, they would be able to learn it independently of me.

At the beginning levels, the style of repertoire a student wishes to work with is fairly irrelevant. Singing functionally on pitch is singing functionally on pitch. Playing correct notes on the piano with correct rhythm and a solid technical approach likewise applies to all styles of music.