Ariel F  

4

  4.0 (3)

Instruments: Piano, Violin, Cello, Viola, Double Bass, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Pop

Since I was a little kid I always wanted to be a teacher. My earliest memory is being 3, sitting at the piano bench, giving my mom a pretend lesson. My teaching experience began seriously in high school, when other kids in my cello section asked me to help them with the orchestra music. When their parents started paying me, they started telling their friends, and things totally took off from there! Since then I have been employed at over 4 different studios, and I still teach privately. It is my main source of income and my life's passion. I encourage all of my students to pursue performance opportunities, anything from playing for family in the basement to big recitals with huge crowds. Performing and sharing art is one of the best parts of being a musician, and it isn't nearly emphasized enough in many schools of educational thought. More advanced students get introduced to competitions and exams if they can handle it!

I use a variety of method books--Bastien, Hal Leonard, John Thompson, and Faber are all favorites of mine for piano. For strings, I stand by the Suzuki method and String Builder series. All lessons are supplemented with sheet music that I print out myself for free on imslp.org, so you get that free of charge! Young children (Ages 0-7), if they are mature enough to sit through a short lesson, learn mostly through play. Musical games, singing, clapping, and moving are all part of my musical curriculum for children of this age. I reinforce musical and instrumental concepts through play, so they learn without even realizing it! Middling children (Ages 8-12) can often handle a more rigorous curriculum. Rudiments (scales, arpeggios, etudes) are far more important than songs to teach foundation and technique, but the songs are the 'treat' and definitely the fun part. Children who study with me don't just learn how to 'play' the music, they learn how to really 'PERFORM' it--wide range of volume, lots of expression, and true musicality! Teens (13-18) typically prefer to choose their own curriculum. They are mature enough to appreciate a classical background, and we study the great composers and all their famous pieces, which inform their understanding of music history as well. I like to introduce teenagers to a variety of genres and styles and widen their palette, so they can eventually choose what they would like to focus on developing with me. Adult students are fantastic, because we can relate to one another on an artistic level. The adult student has determination and willpower, if they can find just 20 minutes a day they will eventually find progress. The key with the adult student is to find material that isn't condescending, is challenging, and that they like. Pop tunes are great to start with adults because they already know how it goes.