Private Lessons
I have been teaching cello for fifteen years. I see all of my students for private lessons and group classes. My students range in age from 4 to 18, though there have been exceptions on both ends of that spectrum. I studied Suzuki Teacher Training at School For Strings in NYC, Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and Ithaca Talent Education at Ithaca College. Suzuki is not a method, it is an approach. Its philosophy is most relevant to very young children who benefit greatly from parental involvement and support. Dr. Suzuki believed that all children are talented and his pedagogy revolves around this assumption.
My method of teaching is my own though I have stolen great ideas from other teachers who I admire. I use the Suzuki books because they are brilliant, especially Book One and the Twinkle Variations and I return to these pieces to apply more layers of technique as my students develop. I am sensitive to the different ways each child learns and I tailor my style accordingly. Being an accomplished professional and a seasoned performer, I know how to build a technique that is both stable and flexible under the stress of performance. While starting beginners is my specialty, it is wonderful when a student continues through high school and beyond, building enough technique so that we can share a deeper sense of the art and tradition of music.
Group
Building self confidence and respect for others is the heart of my group practice. It is my experience that a group setting turbo-charges material we cover in a private lesson. The students learn not only from me, but from each other and from themselves as they apply their skills in a public setting. By playing the pieces they are working on for each other, they learn how to both give and receive support. Group class is also an excellent setting to work through issues of cello technique. By observing each other they see that what they thought was impossible is actually doable with a little persistence, and there is nothing wrong with trying until you get it. Each group has variances in level, age and ability and the students all have different strengths and weaknesses. I see to it that the atmosphere is always supportive and everyone floats to the top of who they can be.
I love to teach music theory in a group setting - the power of a group focus is much stronger than it is in a private lesson and no one feels inadequate for failing to understanding something when they see another student struggling with the same concept. Above and beyond all, cello group is a chance for me to teach the art of chamber music. My students learn how to be responsible for their own part while listening to others in order to blend intonation and sound and to learn how to lock into rhythms and articulations. Some of our pieces are silly and fun; and some are food for the soul. What my students get in return for their hard work and commitment is the wonderful feeling of being part of something much more beautiful than they could have created alone, not to mention the sound of all those cellos playing together!
I include my students in my Outreach program. It is a chance for them to share their gifts through performing and teaching.
I currently teach in Hastings-on-the-Hudson, New York, through the Rivertowns Arts Council and through the Nazareth College Community Music Program in Rochester, New York.
