OFFERINGS
Music lessons for excellence, for fun, for healing, and for deepening artistry and expression
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I have been teaching piano and coaching voice using an amalgam of standard methods and holistic approaches for over 15 years. I balance helping students build a strong, functional and easeful technique, connection to artistry, mastery of essential theory skills, stage presence, and poise with caring for the whole student (although it’s not really accurate to imply that these facets of the teaching and learning process need to be balanced; they are the same process and actually serve each other’s development).
I start from a belief that we are all inherently musicians and we all inherently love to learn. We might not all love to learn within the bounds of the traditional educational system, but this does not mean there is a problem with the ways we each learn. Lessons should not be a burden or something to dread, but a place to grow and play, in all senses of the word. I combine my experience working in classical music academia, performing in solo and collaborative recitals and professional and community productions, music directing, and teaching privately with my in depth study, practice, and training in somatic, psychological, and energy practices. I have mapped the body, become intimately familiar with how energy and emotions interact with--and really are not at all separate from--the body, and deeply examined how these physical, emotional, and energetic processes interact with our ability to express ourselves through music, as well as how music can shape our physical, emotional, and energetic processes. The transformative alchemy of music making is my favorite thing about performing and teaching it. Music touches something directly that is often hidden deep within us, something that is beyond words. Music making acts as a mirror, allowing for the possibility of transformation. I have worked with and particularly enjoy teaching people with the highly sensitive (HSP) trait, neurodivergent people, people who identify as having a disability, and people who identify as having trauma. I have taught students with autism and severe social difficulties, cerebral palsy, rheumatoid arthritis, and PTSD, including birth trauma. *** What exactly does it mean to focus on health in learning and playing music? Some of the things it can mean include: -Paying attention to and valuing the whole person -Focusing on exploration rather than perfection -Letting the sounds we create be a source of feedback which increases our awareness and shows us what direction to move in -Feeling our bodies and relating to ourselves more intelligently (including awareness of physical mechanics as well as emotional/psychological intelligence) -Approaching our ways of learning with curiosity and respect, trusting, honoring, and bringing support to our own unique process every step of the way |
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Specific services
For pianists:
-Beginner through advanced lessons for people of all ages, emphasizing the development of personal empowerment, healthy technique, artistry, theory, style (including sound production, voicing, articulation, period appropriate embellishments/improvisation, etc.) and performance skills. I am classically trained starting from the age of 5 and happily guide students who want to work in this way, as well as with those who want to cover other styles and focus on things other than performance. -Chamber music/accompanying coaching for collaborative pianists For vocalists: -Repertoire selection and general coaching/support -Audition piece selection and style coaching (I have participated on casting/audition/jury panels for musical productions and in academic settings; I have also won competitions with vocalists and helped people win scholarships and grants.) -Recital prep (I also offer accompanying for recordings and performances) -Diction, translation of foreign languages, and interpretation of opera libretti and poetic texts -Finding/freeing the authentic voice For all: -Somatic/energy work applied to and integrated with the process of music making -Audition/recital prep -Music theory skills, including musical notation reading for all levels -Rehabilitation/development of healthy technique -Performance opportunities -Deepening artistic expression, technical fluency/effortlessness, personal empowerment, focus/attention/flow, and psychophysical well-being |
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