Xuelai W
5.0
(2)
Instruments: Piano, Music, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Opera
Xuelai W
5.0
(2)
Instruments: Piano, Music, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Opera
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 3-80
Doctoral Degree: Arizona State University
Master Degree: Cleveland Institute of Music
2013-2016 Arizona State University Teaching Assistant
2013-2016 Arizona State University Special Talent Award Recipient
2011-2013 Cleveland Institute of Music Accompanying Award and Scholarship
2006-2009 Beijing Central Conservatory of Music full scholarship
2004-2006 South China Normal University Distinguished Student Scholarship
Chinese pianist, Xuelai W., recently relocated to Pittsburgh from Phoenix. She is a sought-after collaborative pianist, chamber musician, vocal coach, and church musician. Her passion and experience for both instrumental and vocal collaboration have led her to share the stage with renown artists and young talented musicians. Before she moved to Pittsburgh, she was the pianist for Arizona Opera, where she has given close to 200 performances and presentations with the outreach program, introducing opera to the younger generation and communities in the Greater Phoenix area. As the principal pianist, she has been touring with the Grammy Award- Winning Phoenix Boys Choir in China, Spain, Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria from 2017 to 2019. She was also the Director of Music for Shepherd of the Hills United Church of Christ in Phoenix from 2014 to 2018.
She also has been engaged as a collaborative pianist at many festivals, conferences, and competitions in the United States and China, including Meadowmount School of Music (Westport, NY), Interlochen Arts Camp (Interlochen, MI) , Tuba and Euphonium International Conference (Tucson, AZ), MTNA competition (Tempe, AZ), Franco-American Vocal Academy (Austin, TX), China National Double Bass Competition (Beijing), and China National Voice and Opera Competition (Beijing). Prior to these appointments, she has served as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach at the Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Beijing Central Conservatory of Music.
She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in collaborative piano from Arizona State University, a Master’s degree in collaborative piano from Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), a Master's degree in vocal accompanying from Beijing Central Conservatory of Music in China, and a Bachelor's degree in Music (piano solo) from Guangzhou South China Normal University in China.
My teaching experience dates back to my college days, as I began teaching private lessons part time around 15 years ago. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. I've also found that a combination of classical and popular music can go a long way in helping students enjoy the piano and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. Additions to technique, I also use part of the lesson time to teach students basic music theory such as the concepts of intervals, chords, as well as aural training. My students are encouraged to enter competitions and recitals, as well as work on composing their own original material, so they can feel good about their accomplishments and stay motivated to learn. I'm always looking to bring on new students of all ages!
While maintaining her busy performance schedule, she teaches privately in the area. Her goal is to inspire her students to find the happiness of making music and help them to build up an efficient practice routine. For beginning students who are children, I usually start with Faber Piano Adventure books . Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will introduce some solo repertoire appropriate based on their interest for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun.
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel students desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully customized my instruction to their interest and needs. I also welcome parents to sit in lessons once in a month to be your children's "mock" audience!
Michael Talerico
One of the Best Pianists working today! Comfortable at teaching performing coaching! Definitely a top quality experience!
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