Teaching Philosophy

    I am convinced that every person can play music beautifully and skillfully, at any level or style he/she chooses to pursue, and I am dedicated to teaching music (and specifically the piano) to any student who wants to learn. To that end I teach a variety of elements in the lesson, including music theory, technique, history, compositional analysis, ear training, sightreading, practice and performance skills, improvisation, composition, and a wide variety of repertoire.

    My ultimate goals are to make each student first a music lover and second an independent musician, so eventually I will work myself out of a job but fill up performance halls with audience members and performers. I strive to keep my studio always a safe environment; I will make every attempt to tailor instruction to the specific needs and aptitudes of each student, and I will only recommend performance situations to the student when I am confident he/she can succeed.

    I ask for cooperation from my students and their parents through commitment to regular practicing and following the practice instructions I give verbally and in writing during the lessons. I welcome students' "outside" repertoire, and always strive to select repertoire students like and are interested in...while requiring some amount of classical literature to be in progress continually, to ensure a healthy technique and ongoing exposure to the building blocks of pianistic style.