Stephen M
Instruments: Piano, Violin, Cello, Viola, Fiddle, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Pop, Rock, Showtunes, New Age, Avant-garde
Stephen M
Instruments: Piano, Violin, Cello, Viola, Fiddle, Music, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Pop, Rock, Showtunes, New Age, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
Master Degree: Arizona State University
Bachelor Degree: Utah State University
Music Fellowship - University of Michigan
Louise Kerr Endowment Award
Teaching Fellowship - Arizona State University
George B. Pahtz Memorial Scholarship
Arts Research Fellowship - Utah State University
I am an accomplished music educator and composer skilled in and enthusiastic about teaching music students of all ages. I have a Bachelor's degree in cello performance from Utah State University, where I studied with Anne Francis Bayless of the world-renowned Fry Street Quartet. I also have a Master's degree in composition from Arizona State University, and am currently working toward my Doctorate in composition at the University of Michigan. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed performing my music in concert halls across the country, and am passionate about sharing the joys of musical creativity with all of my students.
I have been teaching private lessons since High School, and have maintained a home studio ever since. I have taught young students of all ages in one-on-one settings in my studio, as well as in classroom settings as a group strings teacher and as an orchestra and general music teacher at a K-8 charter school. I bring with me years of experience in bringing music to life for kindergarteners, teenagers, and everyone in-between (I enjoy teaching adults, too)! When I meet with students for lessons, I am committed to not only help them gain proficiency on their instruments, but also to unlocking their creative potential as artists.
For beginning strings students (even young children) to advanced students, I use the Suzuki method along with the accompanying sight reading book, I Can Read Music. Advanced students who have reached Suzuki book 6 and beyond are invited to seek out other repertoire as a supplement to their Suzuki studies. Students who are involved in an orchestra are also invited to bring excerpts of their music to their lessons so that I can help them to feel confident and prepared at playing tests and auditions.
I firmly believe that students are best served when their teacher knows and cares about them. This attitude toward teaching helps me to tailor instruction to students' needs rather than following a prescriptive method. I usually begin lessons with a brief, informal conversation where we discuss the student's week and talk about things that are important to them. A strong and appropriate student-teacher relationship is the bedrock for successful goal-setting, accountability, and, of course, fun in private lessons! At the end of a student's lesson, I always help them write out goals for the next week in a practice journal so that they can look back on their progress while looking forward to mastering other elements of their playing.
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