"Where Every Student Counts"

Jill's Teaching Philosophy and Policies:

I believe that the love of music begins at birth.    These formative years are the time for the very young to learn to enjoy music rhythmically, spatially, physically and aurally.  I have had success teaching groups of four, five and six-year olds.  They LOVE music.  They love dancing, singing, clapping, playing small instruments, etc.  For me, the ideal age to begin private piano lessons is age seven or eight.  This age group is eager to please and to learn, can read well, has a better attention span and stronger, more coordinated fingers.  With diligent practicing,  these children seem to fly through their course studies.In my studio, all students learn the fundamentals of music.  I prepare a binder for each student with tabs for:  Policies, Scales, Arpeggios, Cadences, Transposing, History Sheets, Group Class Handouts, Listening library, Glossary, and Computer Worksheets.  In these binders, each student also has a personalized sheet for written assignments, recording practice time, etc.  The binder is required at all lessons and group classes. 

 I pattern my teaching after our state AIM Method (Achievement in Music). The UMTA website states:  “The curriculum of the program has ten (10) levels that are designed to take a student through the senior year of high school, with the first year beginning in 3rd grade.“ AIM emphasizes: Performance, Creative Musicianship, Technique, Sight-reading, Ear Training, Theory and Transposition.   I have embraced technology and my students LOVE it!  My students use Computers and iPads to assist with note-reading, sight-reading, memory retention, rhythm, and ear-training.   They wear headphones during another student’s lesson and record their progress. This is done for fifteen to thirty minutes outside of their private lesson.

Group classes are held two to four times a year.  Students perform, play games testing their skills, spend time learning and listening about the current “Composer of the Month,” sing fun songs together and socialize.   Students receive awesome treats and form lasting friendships.

I teach all beginners out of the Mayron Cole Method (MC).  Mayron’s keyboard geography/first, notes-second approach has had a noticeable impact on my students’ abilities to count and read notes proficiently.  This method is not middle-C based.  Rather, students play a “G” with finger two once, then with four and so on; they quickly learn the notes(rather than always putting their right thumb on “C”.)  After completing book one and two, students study in Faber Books through level one through five.  Then I expand with the Celebration Series, Keith Snell, Masterwork Classics, Virtuosic Performer, etc.