Teaching Philosophies

I guide my students to love music and be motivated in their music journey through this beautiful instrument, piano.  Just like the name of my studio, learning to play the piano can be done in a vivace way (pronounced vee-va-chay) which means lively and fun, even though it requires commitment and hard work. Every student is unique, so I strive to adjust my teaching style to best teach them and to help them achieve their goals, interests, and needs. My training in Education as well as Piano Pedagogy has equipped me to offer lessons to students of any age from 3.5 years old to adults. 

Whenever possible, I strive to introduce concepts first from the perspective of aural understanding. When students understand what they hear happening in music, they can better learn to perform, read, and create with music. In lessons, we listen, move, vocalise, and use labels to identify what we hear in music. This helps students to become not only pianists, but musicians, as they experience meaningful learning moments and greater appreciation,  even open doors to creativeness in improvising and composing their own music. 

My ultimate goal is to produce self-reliant, independent musicians who can learn and create music on their own. I want my students to be able to learn a piece of music that inspires them on their own down the path. In the early years of lessons, I guide my students to think on their own. I use questions to guide them to listen to themselves, self-evaluate, and problem solve. Together, we notate goals in their weekly assignments and discuss how to practise effectively in order to reach those goals. 

Each lesson has learning objectives but I always make sure to have a good time with my student. We approach music with joy, wonder, and enthusiasm. I give productive feedback to students, but strive to always communicate in a positive ways, with kindness and gently humour. Students are expected to complete given tasks and assignments and show improvement from week-to-week. Students thrive when they experience success and fun together. 

Playing the right notes at the right time whilst following all the musical terms and signs on the page are important skills to learn. But we also  focus on ‘creating’ beautiful and expressive sounds on piano. Students are taught, from the earliest lessons, how to produce a full tone at the piano, give phrases interest and shape, and effectively communicate the story or character of the piece. This focus on expression makes music study rewarding and satisfying. 

Opportunities for students to interact with other students can be very motivating and positive. Students can see both how far they have come and how far they can go with music. They can learn to inspire, collaborate, and support each other. By sharing their music regularly, students become confident performers and form their unique identities as young people and lifetime musicians.