Leading a masterclass at the Lied Center Piano Academy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Summer 2021
Photo credit- Nick Goodwin
Thoughts about Teaching
The classical music world is a tricky one to navigate, so I do my best to help my students each find their own unique voice, in addition to exploring new ways of making that voice heard. I help students to build their technique and mastery of the instrument, focusing on building a body of repertoire that best reflects the story that each ultimately decides to tell with their playing.
Learning is easier when the process is fun. I believe that shedding the relentless pursuit of perfection and instead focusing on enjoying each step along the journey allows for greater (and often swifter!) progress, because the process is enjoyable. I don't believe that practice should feel punitive.
How we practice is much more important than how much we practice. I offer concrete, comprehensive practice strategies designed to fit each student's specific needs.
Playing music with others is one of the great joys of being a musician, something we solitary pianists all too often forget. My own extensive chamber music experience informs the way I help students improve collaborative skills such as ensemble, balance, leading vs. following, and sight reading.
I have taught piano lessons for over 20 years, and am currently building my studios in Boston at Longy School of Music of Bard College, Third Street Music Settlement in New York City, and my private studio at my home in Jersey City, NJ. I teach students of all levels and ages, including adult beginners.
Time for a stretch- and- shake- it- all- out break!
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Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano, 2019- 2020
From Fall 2019 until Spring of 2020, I was fortunate to serve as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. I had the fantastic privilege of working with some truly delightful, curious, enthusiastic, intelligent, and talented students during my time there, teaching Musicianship and Piano classes in addition to administering applied lessons. These students brought me such joy every week with their humor and enthusiasm for learning more about playing the piano. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make the switch to remote learning halfway through the semester, but that wasn’t going to stop us from having our end-of-the-year recital, featured below. (For their final project, students each recorded—from home—a couple of selections we’d worked on together over the semester.)
Summer Music Festivals
The Heifetz International Music Institute, Piano Faculty
I’ve had the privilege of working for the last five summers as Piano Faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute, where I’ve gotten to coach and perform with many talented young rising stars. Please enjoy a clip of a collaboration with the talented young cellist Kyle Victor in a performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Cello in g minor from the summer institute in 2021.
A riveting performance of the first movement of the heavenly Beethoven violin concerto, in a summer 2022 performance by wonderful young violinist Angela Chan.