Hi! It's nice to get to know you

I have a pretty traditional past with music... 

started at four

learnt 'classically'

had a strict teacher

hated practicing and performing

BURNT OUT AND STOPPED PLAYING FOR 6 YEARS ..... yeahhhh :/

My goal is to make sure your child has the opposite results that I had. 

Everyone Deserves to have a Music Education that fits THEM!
and not to be molded to fit into the music education system that works for others.

As a highly ADHD student I needed movement, laughter, spontaneity, focus on my specific interests and a flexible system to find joy in my music life. I didn't get that until I learned to make it myself, but that has left me with a deep passion for helping others build what they need from the beginning. 

 



Three Things you Need to Know
here are the keystones of my studio. please read so you can make sure that we will be a learning match

1) Holistic Development

Yes, I am a music teacher. However, I DO NOT CARE IF YOUR CHILD IS THE WORLD'S BEST VIOLINIST. I want them to be the best version of themselves first and foremost. I want them to have a beautiful relationship with music because our relationship with the things outside often is a reflection of our relationship with ourselves. In my personal experience, but also through seeing the experiences of musicians while working at a music store for over 10 years, music has a HUGE effect on how we view ourselves and how we react to things outside of ourselves. It can be for good or for bad. My teaching focus is doing everything I can to make that a positive one. While I might see a technical point that 'should' be addressed, if I'm aware that my student has had a hard week, is going through something at school, or is overall having a mental, emotional, or physical need at the same time, THAT NEED WILL ALWAYS TAKE PRECEDENCE. 

This might mean that we learn a little slower than the music student who is practicing 2 hours a day, it might mean that some lessons we sing and move our body instead of practicing our instrument, and it might mean that some weeks your child's homework is to do a emotional wellbeing exercise rather than a musical one. But in order to be true to myself and my experiences with music I will do everything I can to make sure that their long-term relationship with music is preserved over the short-term results . That all parts of their development are respected, not just the one.




2) Parent Involvement 

While it is absolutely possible to learn music without any parental involvement, (and for specific cases I might recommend this) I feel like part of the uniqueness of music education is the possibility for the parent to be directly involved. When a parent is a curious supporter, rather than a detached observer who just drops the kid off for lessons and drives away, they are able to help create a nurturing home environment for their child, bond through the journey, and really make the Child's efforts and wins feel monumental to them. 

You give your child the vital feedback they need to build confidence and self efficacy at a very young age in life.

For Example; I give my 'parents' homework. They do the hard work behind the scenes so their child can just show up and enjoy. My 'parents' call me after lessons, text during the weekends, and work with me to come up with the strategy to keep music lessons engaging, purposeful and most importantly a gift to the nervous system of their child. Sometimes we only need to touch basis once every several months, sometimes it's more frequently. Sometimes their homework is helping find some sensory tools to incorporate into music time at home, sometimes it's sitting down twice a day and doing breathing exercises with their child to work on a root cause of something that's opened up at lessons. 

Whatever it is, I deeply appreciate you being there to help your child with their needs and development. 

Your involvement and mentality when it comes to learning and making time at home for music WILL be the determining force in your Child's results. 

No student is more 'talented' than another. Children are brilliant gems that are monumentally affected by their environment, and I can't wait to work with you to make sure that you know which things to prioritize with the busy and full life your family has. 



3) Flexibility and Compound Interest
(this one is a long one, brace for it, I get soppy at the end) 

We might start off with one learning program and then change to another, we might use no set learning system, it might change from week to week, or we might pick a book and stick with it till the end. What I need from you as the Parent is to be fully supportive of whatever your child needs at whatever point they're at in their learning. Sometimes it will feel like it just gets harder and harder, no journey is linear no matter how wonderful the results.
 (think childbirth, although hopefully this will be less painful lol)

Your patience and dedication to the long-term effects of music education is all I'm asking for. Please be ready to make your child feel successful at every step of the progress, not expecting more than they are capable of at that moment in time. And be patient with yourself as a parent as well! The more outside interests you have the harder your life gets, the busier your schedule gets, and the more pressure you feel to make sure you're making the best use of your time. I absolutely understand and wish you could see what I see when I see people center music in their family life. I promise it will be worth it. I remember being at the music store years ago listening to a mother bemoan the fact that her teenage daughter didn't want to take lessons anymore, that she didn't show any interest in orchestra, or performing at all. She said:
 "The only times she ever gets it out to play is when she's in a mood or really upset." 
....
...
.
THAT is the goal, this is what you're working for. Not just the skill they learn, not how fancy they look playing, not only the community they will have, not just the bonding as a family learning music together. All those things are amazing, but the compound interest that builds, that's special. The magical connection to something more than us, the ability to have something to express things words can't, to have it be part of you and also something you can also never quite grasp at the same time. That's what your effort and time is building. 

You make it so that when your child has something happen that you can't help with instantly, or that they don't know how to deal with, you've already built the intrinsic support in their mind and body. They have their music, they have the intuitive reliance and realistically a FABULOUS coping mechanism to help them deal with whatever life throws at them. All those hours you spent sitting in your music space at home together, breathing, stretching, singing, regulating, moving, talking, understanding, laughing, showing curiosity, playing... It all compounds into WHO they are as a person. HOW they will react when something triggers them, when they fail something, when they feel judged or alone, or when they're struggling with who they are and where they're going, 
the Music is In Them... 

So yeah, in my very biased perspective it's worth it all :)