Piano Lessons in Mchenry, IL

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet Harp

Hello! My name is Tia J. and I am a professional music educator. I first discovered my passion for music when I started playing the harp at 7 years old and fell in love with teaching in 2006 when I first started teaching private music lessons. My priorities as a teacher revolve around tailoring instruction to help students achieve their individual goals, whether they are personal goals and/or closely tied to educational/ career goals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

My teaching experience dated back to my college days, as I began teaching wind ensembles. I have been invited to help coach over 20 bands in the Osaka area, many times helping them reach gold medals at competitions such as the All-Japan Band Competition. I have of course also participated as a band and wind ensemble member many times, including the Osaka Shion Wind Ensemble and the Japan Wind Ensemble. In addition to band coaching, I have been teaching students in my private studio. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Saxophone Ukulele Recorder Music Keyboard

When creating lesson plans for classes or for individual lessons, I customize and design the lessons to fit the needs of the students. I always interview the students and set goals to know where they want to go so that all of our work is geared towards there individual success and improvement. I utilize various methods books depending on the students abilities. I also heavily utilize the Kodaly method and the Orff Method when teaching. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums

I use humor and my own experiences to first establish a caring environment in which the student can be comfortable. Once that connection is established, I like to find out the students interests and make sure a personal goal is set that we can achieve together. There has to be something exciting the student can achieve in order to develop self-motivation. I employ a number of tactics to stimulate self-expression and problem solving skills, as independent work and practice is crucial in any musician's journey. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

First I think it is important to get to know the student and chat about what their intentions are musically. Then I can customize a lesson plan for them which includes warming up, techniques, and repertoire. I sometimes find it helpful to discuss of elements music theory, aural skills, and reading music depending on the students desires in those areas. I strive to motivate students by picking material they are excited about. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Flute Piccolo

I always figure out where a student is at, and prefer to grow off the student's strengths as opposed to harping on their weaknesses. I have been in lessons before where teachers couldn't get past the smallest details, and these ruined the experience for me, as well as greatly affected what I was able to accomplish in my lessons. The opposite is also true, in that I have had teachers that haven't even informed me of a weakness that I had, and I wasn't able to improve because of it. Read More

Instruments: Piano

An important component in my teaching process is assessment. First I need to understand long-term goals of the student. What does "taking piano lessons" mean to you. If you want to learn piano and go through Bach preludes and Brahms reductions great! But that is not the entire scope of what private lessons can offer an individual. Often the student doesn't know what specifically excites him/her. For younger students especially, broadening horizons is important. Read More