There are always qualities you admire in others, as well as qualities you would rather not emulate. My first professional teacher, Margaret Brown, taught incredibly great skills to all her students. She was a stickler for perfection; she insisted I count out loud (I can still hear her voice saying with more than a tinge of frustration, “1e+a 2e+a 3e+a 4e+a!!!”); she taught me theory in a way that made sense and stuck; she required perfect fingering; she expected me to be prepared for every performance; she demanded daily technique practice (scales, chords, arpeggios, Hanon); and I knew I had to be prepared for my lessons, or else she’d make me cry!
Honestly, I don’t know how I survived her strict methods for so many years since I was such a quiet, gentle child, accustomed to a very loving, kind, gentle mother! But I’ll forever be grateful for Margaret’s strict attention to my musical education!
When I started teaching, I knew I wanted to pass on to my students all the great qualities Margaret taught me, but I also knew I didn’t want my students to be scared of me or of piano lessons! I wanted my students to enjoy music!
It has been an ever-evolving journey, but over the years that I’ve taught piano, I’ve been on a constant hunt for fun ideas to motivate students in positive ways, enjoyable activities to make the basics automatic, and creative approaches to make lessons fresh and exciting. I’m not gonna lie! There have been too many lessons that have NOT been fun OR motivational! But the longer I teach, the more great ideas I find, and the more fun I have! And when I’m having fun, I know that students are much more likely to learn, have fun, and enjoy music!
I’ve gathered (and continue to add to) a huge collection of phone and iPad apps, percussion instruments, card games, board games, reward systems, picture books about music, teaching materials, practicing tips, engaging music, and other items to help make each element of music education easy, fun, and automatic. While daily practice may not be quite as fun for some as running around a soccer field with their buddies, my goal is to make music lessons each week satisfying, enjoyable, and deeply rewarding.