Teaching Philosophy
I do not believe “one size fits all,” my teaching methodology recognizes individual differences in student abilities, temperaments, needs and backgrounds. Let me describe this methodology:
1. Students are strongly encouraged to both control and evaluate in detail all aspects of their performance.
2. We develop techniques together to enable students to listen to themselves in both practice and performance.
3. Both the technical and musical demands of the composer are discussed thoroughly and we attempt to form the general principles by which the students may judge their own performance in terms of its consistency with the style and artistic requirements of the era and composer.
4. Strong emphasis on daily practice routines including suitable warm up regimens and the identification of extraordinary technical demands required by particular pieces.
5. Detailed attention to overall planning of repertoire assignments recognizing the student’s particular tastes and technical/artistic limitations.
6. Weekly discussions and explanations of specific practice methods aimed at the repertoire discussed above. For this to be accomplished, well-organized and intensive daily practice is de rigueur.
7. Discussions of my views on actual performance based on a long career on the concert stage. This also involves the expectation that the student will perform as often as possible in any suitable venue, for example, student recitals, public performances of both chamber and solo repertoire and, of course, participation in national and international competitions.