TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Music is an art that is accessible at any age. Children involved in the joy of participating in and making music are able to access that joy on their own while developing several invaluable character strengths. Those strengths or traits - patience, focus, sensitivity and enthusiasm – are qualities that are admired by all and are beneficial to everyone in every discipline.  

Piano study cultivates all four of these traits in such a way that they can be applied to every other aspect of life. Suzuki piano study is especially joyful in its nurturing and upbeat methodology, and it is especially useful in developing these traits in the very young child.

I love the Suzuki method because we emphasize parental involvement, closeness, and nurturing; because we are able to apply this nurturing philosophy in areas other than music; because small steps are viewed for the great achievements they are as we build to something bigger; and because students develop balance, confidence, discipline, respect, great listening skills, and a better memory.

And since music is such an intrinsic part of human nature, studying an instrument gives children a way to experience it daily, share with others, and enjoy themselves. Henry David Thoreau said, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”  I think that to experience music at an early age, to be a part of it, and even to teach it, one cannot help but develop enthusiasm.  I teach to share these skills because I think to have them, and to practice them, is to have purpose, and these are all essential to the discipline of happiness.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teacher Training Courses in English, Online. Books 1-5, Revisiting Book 1, Teaching Strategies, and creator of the course “Teaching Transfer Students.”
Teacher Training Courses in Spanish, Oaxaca, Mexico; Guadalajara, Mexico; and online. Books 1-3, and Filosofía.
Private Piano Studio, FaithSlaker Music, Chicago, Illinois.  Private traditional and Suzuki lessons for children and adults. 2007 - 2021.
Master Classes in Chicago, Peru, and Mexico both traditional and Suzuki, both English and Spanish.
Teaching Artist at Music Institute of Chicago. Teaching private traditional and Suzuki Lessons.
Suzuki Piano Department Coordinator and Teacher at Sherwood, the Community Music School at Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois.  Teaching private traditional piano and Suzuki Private Piano Lessons as well as Suzuki Group Lessons since September 2007.
Suzuki-Orff School, Chicago, Illinois.  Taught private and group Suzuki Piano lessons between August 2007 and July 2010.
Private Piano Studios maintained in Oaxaca, Mexico; Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, and Illinois since 2000. Experience as a class piano instructor as well as substitute teacher for music and special ed.

EDUCATION

Suzuki Piano Teacher Trainer Status, Awarded September 2019.
Suzuki Piano Certificate of Achievement, Awarded December 2017.
Filosofía, July 2021. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Ecuador.
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 7, July 2016. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Chicago
Suzuki Practicum Course, July 2016. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Chicago
Suzuki Principles in Action, March 2016. Teacher - Nancy Jackson, Chicago
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 5, January 2016. Teacher - Flor Canelo, Lima, Peru
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 6, September 2015. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Guanajuato, Mexico
Estrategías Course (teaching strategies), September 2015. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Guanajuato, Mexico
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 4, June 2013. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Memphis
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 3, July 2010. Teacher - Doris Koppelman, Chicago
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 2, July 2008. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Chicago
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 1, July 2007. Teacher - Caroline Fraser, Chicago
Nationally Certified by Music Teachers National Association, May 2006.
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas: M.M., Piano Performance and Pedagogy with concentration in Music Therapy, May 2004. Studied under Carol Leone, Sam Holland, and Peter Jutras.
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois: B.M., Piano Performance, May 2001; B.M. Piano Pedagogy with Honors, December 2000. Studied under Gustavo Romero, Kenneth Drake, Christos Tsitsaros, Reid Alexander, Jennifer Linn and Andrew Degrado.
International Experience studying art history and language in Granada, Spain, Summer 2000.

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Conference Presentations:
Asociación Mexicana del Método Suzuki Conference: “Creativity and Personal Growth” 2021
National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy 2021: Teaching Demonstration.
Mexico 2019 “Suzuki Therapy”.
ISMTA 2019: “Mindfully Musical”
Adjudication: Royal Conservatory of Music training, Toronto, 2013.
Solo, Chamber Music, and Lecture-Performance experience in Mexico, Illinois, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas
Site Coordinator for the Music Institute of Chicago, Gratz Center, May 2014 - August 2017.

Articles

Teaching Growth Mindset Feedback to Suzuki Parents, American Suzuki Journal, Fall 2019
The Four Seasons of Teaching, American Suzuki Journal, Vol 51, No.4, Summer 2023
A Year in Oaxaca, American Suzuki Journal Vol 52, No.1, Winter 2023