Catherine H
Instruments: Piano, Voice
Styles: Classical, Folk, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes, Avant-garde
Catherine H
Instruments: Piano, Voice
Styles:
Classical, Folk, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
BA, Boston University, Music, magna cum laude Studies in Vocal performance, New England Conservatory 12+ years of piano study
Soloist with Handel & Haydn Society (JS Bach Mass in B Minor, Magnificat, Cantatas BWV 133 and 149), Boston, MA, 2012 – 2016 Soloist, Concerts of Dowland and Purcell, Festival Musique en l’Ile, Paris, 2014 – 2015 Soloist with Central City Chorus (Duruflé Requiem, Bach B Minor Mass), NYC, 2015 Soloist with Dalton Chorale (including Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Monk Dawn, Bernstein Chichester Psalms), NYC, 2010 – 2016 Soloist and ensemble, Choir of St. Luke in the Fields, NYC, (Schütz, Buxtehude, Byrd, Tomkins, Scarlatti), 2012 – present
I am a professional classical singer and vocational pianist based in New York City. As a singer, I've performed throughout the US and in Europe, including NYC's Carnegie Hall, Boston's Symphony Hall, LA's Disney Hall, and the Festival Musique en l'Ile in Paris, as both a soloist and an ensemble singer. As a pianist, I play for joy, since piano is my first love. I have a degree in music and eight years of experience teaching both piano and voice. I am passionate about teaching kids (and adults) music fundamentals and about helping them find the spark that will keep them interested and growing. I believe it is important to teach good technical and musical habits from the beginning, along with basics of music theory. But I believe it is just as important to explore the student’s individual motivations for learning an instrument and what will bring them a sense of accomplishment and joy. This is also what is fun for me!
I began teaching private piano and voice lessons in the Boston area after college, and taught for eight years at after-school programs. I learned my style from my mother, who taught piano out of our home when I was growing up. She would try to make learning the basics fun and would choose pieces to work on that were musically interesting for kids, so that once they mastered the notes, they would enjoy playing it for themselves and for friends. She also taught me the importance of learning fundamentals well and not skipping important steps, so that when the student is more advanced, they will not have to go back and unlearn bad habits in order to play well. In addition to private lessons, I also taught as a part of a teaching artist group that worked with public school classes to help kids write and perform their own music. It is amazing to see how creative and accomplished kids can be!
A typical piano lesson will include work on technique, listening skills, sight-reading and music notation. More advanced students will learn the fundamentals of harmony. The listening skills are important because if the student enjoys what (s)he is hearing, (s)he will be more motivated to practice. The technique and theory work is important so that the student will be able to build a strong foundation in order to keep up with what they want to be hearing more of. For piano beginners, I generally start with the Faber method books, but I always supplement with other books or pieces that are tailored to the students abilities and interests. There will be short pieces to practice at home which can be mastered in a week or two, and frequently there will be longer “challenge pieces” that will be worked on for several weeks with the goal of giving the student a piece they will enjoy playing for themselves or for friends and family. For voice students, the materials used really vary according to the student's needs and interests. I have a library of classical, musical theater and folk songs that I use, and I am also open to working on music that my students bring.
What I love about teaching is that each student is unique and has different types of abilities and motivations to study music. Music is a joy, but in order to get the most out of the experience of playing an instrument, there is some work involved. My style is to work on manageable goals that build a strong musical foundation, while maintaining focus on the joy that inspired the student to study in the first place. Oftentimes the work can be fun! But there is always the sense of accomplishment once goals have been met.
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