Teaching Philosophy Statement
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” I believe that all people deserve to learn music in some way. In my piano classes, all people no matter what your age or job is, are welcomed to learn to play the piano and music.
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First of all, I want to introduce some elements of my piano lesson. My piano lesson mostly focuses on western classical piano music. Also, popular piano music and world music may be included after the intermediate level. Classical piano fundamentals are going to be established right from the beginning. In the piano lesson, we will try a lot of interesting piano pieces and learn how about the expressive qualities and potential of music. For example, I may invite them to dance with my playing and think about how music goes up and down through their dance. Adult or introverted students will be invited to sing (or just imagine) the melody phrases to gain a better sense of melodic movement. At the end of each year, I will hold a small concert for every student. This is an opportunity for everybody to exchange their piano learning experience and show what they have learned in the passing year.
The goals of piano learning are variable. Some students aim to play the piano for their pleasure. Others aim to play as a proficient pianist. For some young children, they learn to play the piano because their parents want them to do so. Some children, who are extremely unwilling to sit on a piano bench, can choose to have some off-piano class first. After several classes, we can touch the piano as long as they show any interest in the piano. A good student who is willing to sit on a piano bench every day will improve naturally throughout their practice processes. For young students who are under 10, I advise that students learn and practice the piano in the company of their parents. Parents need to help young students recall what the teacher taught in class. I also advise that practice length is equal to or more than the piano class length and keep practicing every day. For example, a student practises 30 minutes per day if we have a 30-minute-long piano class, following the procedures that we did in the class. Overall, no matter what goal you want to achieve, the persistence of practice is the path to success.
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Students who come from all walks of life have different personal experiences. For everyone, different musical expressions are accepted by me and I will always provide advice to them. Therefore, discussions about music (such as chords, dynamics, articulations, and so on) happen frequently in my piano class, which helps students a lot in handling more detailed musical techniques.
Many types of music study are accepted in my piano classes. Besides piano class, my classes also contain music theory, aural perception, sight-reading, and improvising accompaniment. In most of my piano classes, music theory knowledge will be interspersed in piano teaching so that students can understand music better and pursue higher musical accomplishments in the future. If students have theory exams, individual music theory classes will be assigned to them for their preparation. Aural perception and sight-reading are in the piano class at the very beginning level of piano class. When students learn a new piece, I will ask them to sing the notes (pitches are not necessarily accurate) and play slowly to familiarize them with the notes and keyboard fast.
My credentials include a DipABRSM piano performance diploma (2015), a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University specialization in Music Composition (2015-2018), and a member of the Quebec Music Teacher Association (QMTA).
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In conclusion, as a teacher, I have duties to my students and my profession. My philosophy is to give all students who like music in a professional manner. Learning piano is a long process. Students and I both need to make efforts to achieve accomplishments.
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