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Audrey H In Home In Studio
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Instruments: Piano, Voice, Oboe
Styles: Classical, Jazz

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Audrey H   In Home In Studio
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Oboe
Styles: Classical, Jazz

Where I Teach:
In Your Home My Studio
Ages Taught: 6-80
Levels Taught:

EMAIL US OR CALL 877-687-4524

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ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:

BM, University of Northern Iowa, Oboe/English horn Music Performance with college level piano lessons MA, Oboe/English Horn Music Performance 2 year, University of Northern Iowa, Iowa Teacher's License, Music Education: Study focused on College level Voice, and piano lessons

Awards:

Bell Choir Director - Saint Petersburg Church in Denver, Iowa 2017 – present Met Chorale - Alto - Cedar Falls, Iowa Fall semester 2017 University of Northern Iowa Children's Choir - Assistant - University of Northern Iowa Fall semesters 2016 and 2017 Concert Chorale - Alto - University of Northern Iowa under direction of Dr. John Wiles Cedar Falls, Iowa 2016 – 2017 Freelance Oboe and English Horn 
Principal Oboe and English Horn - Osaka and Tokyo, Japan 2008 – 2012 Oboe and English horn - Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony and Contemporary Ensemble 2006 – 2008 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Principal Oboe and English horn 2002 – 2006 Wartburg Community Orchestra in Waverly, Iowa Principal Oboe and English horn 2004-2005 Waterloo Community Playhouse in Waterloo, Iowa Principal Oboe and English horn 2004 – 2006 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra in Cedar Falls, Iowa Principal Oboe and English horn 2000 – 2002 Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Symphonic Band University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Overview:

I never imagined life would hold so many surprises for me. Fifteen years ago if someone asked me what my life's dream was, I would have said I wanted to be a professional musician. However, as I grew as a musician and a person, I realized I wanted to give back much more than only a musical performance. I wanted to be a positive part of peoples' lives. During my years as an EFL instructor, I realized the joy one could experience in watching others grow and succeed. While my life took some time away from music, I still held a strong belief that music is at the very essence of human expression and can hold academic as well as therapeutic affects for students young and old. For this reason, I returned to university to get my teaching license in general music with a vocal emphasis. The voice is the center of human expression, and I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to unlock this uniquely human ability to communicate thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.

EXPERIENCE

I began my career not as a teacher but as a performer of music. Originally, it was my ultimate goal to reach the highest obtainable musical ability through performance of the oboe and English horn. I practiced six hours daily regardless of health condition, and was exceptionally thorough while preparing for solos and concerts. Through the University of Northern Iowa’s Study Abroad Program, I was afforded the opportunity to study German, live with an Austrian host family and attend classes at both the city’s university and music conservatory. This experience opened my eyes to other worlds beyond my own backyard and inspired me to expand my original ideas about life and society.

After graduating, I moved to Japan and was surrounded by a plethora of opportunity both for music performance and teaching English as a Foreign Language. I quickly realized during my first year there that although I found music performance an exciting career path, my real passion was education. To prepare myself as an English teacher, I enrolled at the University of Oregon’s Linguistic program and earned a Masters in Applied Linguistics with a specialization in TESOL.

After graduation, I returned to Japan, and worked as an English teacher and freelance oboist for three years while learning the culture and language. However, I was hungry to learn more about the world and wanted to challenge myself with something harder. I sent my resume out to many places, and took my first college job in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has very strict guidelines about what can be taught in the classroom and how teachers should conduct themselves. It takes a very flexible yet strong person while also finding ways to remain creative within strict guidelines to survive in this educational system. Here I learned the value of teamwork and critical feedback from my administration. Nonetheless, my deepest passion at my core has always been music. I find music in every aspect of human life, as well as language.

For my Applied Linguistics Master’s thesis at the University of Oregon, I researched how one could use music to teach the suprasegmental aspects of the English language. I incorporated musical aspects and vocal techniques whenever possible into my EFL teaching. I have always believed in the positive benefits that accompany music and education as well as choral participation. After six years of teaching English mostly abroad, I have returned to the University of Northern Iowa to get a teaching license which will allow me to teach Music in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. The focus of my original life goals have changed for me from the first time I graduated till now. There is an undefined value working with people from all over the world to accomplish a common goal. Performance without error in high stress situations defines music as an art at a different level. Abilities shared within a community give meaning and definition to its members on a more personal level than mere performance allows.

Living in Japan taught me job dedication, time management and that to be an educator is a lifestyle not only a career. Teamwork and flexibility are fundamental when working abroad in new situations surrounded by foreign language, culture and systems. Observing strict guidelines that were both cultural and governmental while in Saudi Arabia was necessary for basic survival, but taught me to have a deep sense of respect for my host nation. Teaching abroad has developed my skills relating with building positive teacher-student rapport, balancing administration duties, lesson planning, and working together with other teachers to build the best possible educational experience for attending students. Every student is capable of anything they put their minds to no matter what the immediate situation implies. Lastly, all these experiences coalescing with the information learned in the University of Northern Iowa’s classrooms has helped me on my path to become a teacher, able to offer future students the highest level of musical and academic learning possible.

METHODS USED

I first always start with warm-ups. I believe warm-ups really are the building blocks of technique which is vital to learning piano, voice or any instrument under the sun. Next we look at the level or etude book if we are working with piano or instruments. These songs are short and have a mini lesson/technique hidden in them. These further build the students' ability to play more difficult pieces later. Last, I always wish that the student choose a piece of music that they are passionate about. This takes all the previous things we have worked on and uses them more authentically. They get a chance to see all their hard work on technique combined to produce something that they are truly interested in.

LESSON STYLE

Music is accessible to everyone, but that does not necessarily mean everyone can teach it. Music relates the humanity of an individual, so a teacher needs to create connections between the music being studied and the student doing the studying. Learning music takes a high degree of patience and repetition, and it is the teacher's job to balance holding the student to a high standard and making music fun. Learning to sing or play an instrument takes a certain amount of vulnerability, so a teacher must create a strong relationship of trust with their students. The learning atmosphere must be a safe one that is inclusive of all.

The teacher must know the literature well, and be able to select pieces that meet the ability level of the student, but also push them to new limits (Holt & Jordan, 2008). Who Should Learn Music study should be open to anyone who is willing to learn. Shinichi Suzuki’s philosophy on teaching music is found by many to be the most inspiring, and is the foundation of any strong philosophy of music. It has been a constant argument in music teaching that only a select few possess musical talent, and only they in turn should learn music. Shinichi as do I strongly disagree with this narrow philosophy. I believe as he does that all people have the ability to learn depending upon the level of exposure in their environment. This is also my belief and philosophy that I hope to exemplify with my students.

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