I grew up in San Francisco and have earned my masters degree in piano pedagogy from Holy Names University in 2002 . I have motivated, educated, and mentored hundreds of students for seven years as a faculty member of Holy Names University Preparatory Music Department, and as a private instructor. I settled into my studio in San Bruno since September of 2006. I currently accept students of all ages and levels. I am also currently active in the Music Teachers’ Association of California in the San Mateo Branch and have served as Membership Secretary for three years, Vice President, and Certificate of Merit chair in the San Francisco Branch for one year. Currently, I’m working as the church pianist at Geneva Methodist United Methodist Current since March of 2017.
Suzuki Style
One teaching method that I mainly specialize in is the Suzuki Method, a mother tongue approach where students can begin to learn piano as young as three. The typical Suzuki student can learn how to play and perform a number of pieces quickly by ear and by memory within a few months and with confidence. When one can complete a task of creating a beautiful sound, and share it with the world, a sense of self worth is raised to new levels. I teach in the hope that their joy of music spreads as people listen to that beauty, and thus creating a more beautiful world.
Suzuki focuses on the whole child. Suzuki believes that all children can reach their highest potential when they are given the best loving supportive enviroment parents, teachers, and society can give them. This is made possible with the basic principle that children can reach their highest potential when they are given the best, loving, and supportive musical enviroment, parents, teachers, and society can give them.
Emphasis of teaching is on tone production, phrasing, technique, and all elements that contribute to the development of expressive and confident piano style. I have an individual approach to each student and all the lessons are tailored according to the knowledge and ability of each student.
Integration
I also had some training of the Kodaly and Orff methods as well as traditional. I look into integrating these methods when necessary as well because I am also a firm believer in the importance of learning to read music and being able to adjust according to students’ different learning styles.