music studio
Susan teaches piano to students of all ages and levels (from beginner to ARCT). Classes are taught at her studio, with an upright piano for beginner and intermediate students and beautiful Chickering grand (circa 1896) for her advanced students. That in itself is an incentive for practice. Her classes for children are structured once per week, with special workshops and other activities which are listed below. Susan also teaches adults of all levels, and these adults enjoy their own monthly workshop.
Susan takes very seriously the role of teaching piano to children. Technique, rhythm, classical, contemporary and popular music are all part of the curriculum. Memory work is also encouraged. Many of her students participate in Conservatory exams. Different approaches and different publications are employed, depending on the way in which each student absorbs music. Susan also exposes children to sounds of more contemporary music, often using her own popular compositions.
When Susan can’t find a tool to help teach children, she creates it. To encourage practicing, teach rhythm, technique and other skills, Susan has created many fun ways of reinforcing these skills. Read more about these in Teaching Tools.
We do have fun!
The music studio is a busy place as there is always a special event happening.
- Each year students have several Performance Classes where they practice performing in front of family and friends.
- The New Year sees a Masterclass where advanced students perform for a Master teacher who is brought in to run the class. The younger ones are treated to an afternoon of piano and music games designed to enhance their skills in performance or piano technique.
- A big and very popular event is the annual Practice Contest where students compete with themselves to earn fantastic rewards!
- Finally everything comes together in the Year-end Recital, a more formal event for students to show off their achievements for the year.
- There is a large adult group who enjoy the monthly performance workshop, a casual event with a supportive audience. This serves as both a music goal to work towards and a social gathering of music lovers!
Here are the handouts given to all students:
Studio Calendar and Events — a calendar showing all scheduled events for the teaching year.
Studio Policy — a generic copy of Susan’s studio policy.
Practice Guidelines — given to all new students, this is designed to provide an idea of how to approach practicing and also to set minimum expectations.
Responsibilities — given to all new students, this form informs students and families of what is required when embarking on the study of piano.
