Maria W  
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Flute, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Musical Theater, Opera, Swing

While studying music in college, I always enjoyed helping my classmates with their particular questions regarding accessing their voice, improving their range, playing piano, or how to start learning to play the flute. While still in school, I shadowed and assisted my piano professor with teaching piano and rock band at a public school. I began teaching privately about three years ago. I believe that flexibility and creativity is key when working with students. Everyone brings a different set of skills to the table, and everyone learns in different ways. So I like to focus on a combination of technique and warm-up exercises and individualized lesson plans based on the student's level, interests, and goals. Music should be fun!

I like to work with my students to figure out what their passion is within the wide scope of music, and work from there. My lessons include: technique and warm-up exercises, performance preparation, personalized arranging, and an emphasis on individualized lesson plans based on level, interests, and goals. Depending on the instrument, level, and genre, some teaching materials I like to use are: Faber series, Fingerpower series, Music for Little Mozarts, Czerny etudes, A Tune a Day, Forty Little Pieces, Steps to the Real Book (Jim Levy), Jazz Piano Handbook (Michele Weir), Heart It and Sing It! (Judy Niemack), classical and popular music repertoire, and my own original exercises.