Teaching

I see individual piano lessons as a form of discipleship, in which my role is to guide my students to bring music to life and let music bring meaning to their lives as well as to others. During the guiding process, I share my knowledge and experience with my students, help them to shape their sound and individuality, and inspire them to become the best musician they can be. The two main common goals of my teaching are to help students understand music and its elements (theory, history, technique, and sound) comprehensively and execute their understanding of music through performance with expression. Essentially, I want my students to not only just play the piano but also perform music.

My studio welcomes students of all backgrounds, abilities, and interests. I have vast experience teaching teenagers and adult students in individual lessons, group lessons, high-school classrooms, and college lecture-style settings. Lesson curricula and materials will be tailored based on students’ goals, suitability, and pedagogical purposes. I reinforce the importance of selecting good quality music and methods for all my students to ensure a quality education.

My teaching style piques students’ curiosity about music, and my enthusiasm is contagious. As a versatile musician and teacher, I teach a wide range of repertoire from classical music (Baroque through contemporary music) and hymnal improvisation to popular and jazz music. Moreover, my lessons also include keyboard functional skills (sight-reading, harmonization, and transposition) as well as supplementary training such as music theory, aural skill and musicianship, sight-singing, basic conducting, basic vocal, basic composition, and ensemble (accompaniment and piano duet).

For beginning students, music will first be introduced through rote-learning, as if learning a mother-tongue language, before note-reading. This is to develop musically sensitive listening skills from an early stage. Lessons of all-levels will involve more than just playing piano, which means singing, tapping, body movement through the Dalcroze approach, hand-sign through the Kodaly method, and many other creative activities. Appropriate technical exercises and etudes will be assigned on top of the solo repertoire to elevate my students’ technical skills, but it will not be the sole concentration of the lesson. I occasionally assign listening assignments either through attending live concerts or recordings to enhance the learning experience. My advanced students will be assigned appropriate reading assignments to provide historical background and context of the music they are learning and to enrich their music literature knowledge. Parents of beginning-level and intermediate-level students are strongly recommended to attend and observe all lessons to facilitate students’ practices at home after the lesson.

My students are highly recommended to opt for piano and music theory evaluation provided by the local Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) chapter or graded examinations by the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), or Trinity College of London (TCL). These evaluations and examinations are not required but provide an accurate parameter to reflect students’ learning progress. I also encourage students to participate in competitions for self-improvement and to establish themselves as a serious musician, especially students who are interested in pursuing a music degree in the future.

A variety of learning platforms are planned to enhance the learning experience. On top of regular individual lessons, my students participate in a weekly group class (for beginning and intermediate students) and a monthly studio class (for advanced students). Selected students will be invited to perform in the guest artist masterclass too. Plenty of performance opportunities are available including end-of-semester recitals, community outreach recitals at retirement homes, and beneficial recitals for selected non-profit organizations as well as seasonal recitals.

I always advise my students to keep a healthy practice routine by practicing regularly daily. I also provide effective practice tips and strategies and customize them according to students’ age, level, and ability. Whether learning for serious studies or recreational studies, I expect my students to yearn for improvement and always strive to become the best musician they can be.

Update: September 2022