Janice F  
Instruments: Piano, Cello
Styles: Classical, Pop, Folk

In addtion to teaching privately in my studio, both 'cello and piano for over 30 years now, I have also taught after school string classes, for all student levels.  One unique project that occured was playing for a ribbon cutting ceremony for an adult care center where I featured my students who performed with me and a few of my colleagues.  Coaching youth orchestra 'cello sections sometime culminated in my New American Quartet coaching College students then performing a concert for them and their families.  I encourage my students to write their own pieces and perform for one another in my "musical get togethers" held in my studio or sometimes in larger venues.  I have also organized 'cello ensembles that would often incorporate a singer, similar to what Pablo Casals did, 50 years ago.  I tend to make learning more fun than just teaching in a strict manner - it is too much work to learn an instrument so the student might as well enjoy what he/she is doing otherwise, why do it????  I make sure that pieces the student wants to learn are also incorporated into the mix of classical, folk, and popular musical repertoire, in addition to the regimen of exercises and scales. 

If teaching the 'cello, I like to use the instruction book that I learned from which is Samuel Applebaum's Beginning Strings book and around this I will introduce more international music, often in duet form to help with intonation.  After the student develops good basic technique, then sonatas and concerti are gradually introduced.  If teaching the piano, then I make sure that Dozen a Day for the beginners is incorporated with any of the beginning/intermediate books such as John Thompson's, Edna Mae Burnam's or Frances Clark's methods and for more advanced piano students the Hanon exercises are included along with the standard Classical repertoire.  I like to incorporate 4 hands playing of fun pieces as a diversion from the solo playing plus I encourage my students to accompany me on the piano in a few 'cello pieces so that they acquire a good sense of ensemble playing.  I have "musical get-togethers" where everyone plays for their family friends and other students and I will sometimes bring in a professional colleague where we will treat the students to a performance so they can see what happens when one becomes a "pro" - it is my way of saying, "good job everyone"!