Amanda S  
Instruments: Piano, Cello
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Opera, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Spirituals, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Punk, Mariachi, Avant-garde

Every student learns differently and is inspired differently. I believe it is important to have a solid knowledge of theory and note reading- If the student has this foundation then they are able to grow quite quickly as musicians. I think that consistency is the key to learning an instrument and trying to practice every day is ideal, but I have children of my own and I realize that this is not always possible. I believe that positive reinforcement is the key to learning and if a student isn't learning then I'm not doing my job.

For younger cello students I love Suzuki book 1- for older students I use Lee. For my piano students I start with Bastien series. I always try to keep my students engaged and lessons positive. If for some reason a student get stuck on a piece of music or they're no longer progressing in a meaningful was I am not opposed to shelving it and moving on to something new. I also am a big believer in listening to the piece that you are working on this learning the music is a bit more natural feeling. I also use sight reading books as a teaching tool. To be able to read music and play it without ever hearing it is a great way to build character s a musician.