Emma L  
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Opera, Showtunes

Teaching has always been my passion, and I am extremely motivated to engage students in music. I am currently completing my 4th year as Choral Director in the Rensselaer City School District, as well as running the school Glee Club. I have taught voice, piano, and guitar at performing arts schools and privately for the last 8 years, and have found a variety of ways to encourage my students in their study of music. I strongly believe that there must be an element of fun in music instruction, and whether this means finding the right song to inspire a student's interest, or creating a reward or game system with younger students, I work to find ways to make lessons and practicing a positive redeeming experience.

My essential philosophy of music education is that with engagement come success. The students who have made the most progress in my experience are those that have enjoyed the process. In order to do this, I customize my instruction to each student. With vocal students, we begin with the basics of technique, implementing them into recognizable songs that suit the students' interests. For piano, I often recommend the Alfred or Bastien series. With any instrument, I strongly believe in incorporating some elements of music theory as well as developing sight reading skills.