Luke M  
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical

My earliest teaching experience was in my senior year of high school. While in college, I was required to do some student teaching, and this gave me a tremendous amount of insight into how best to approach being a music instructor. Since graduating, most of my musical experience has come from playing and directing choirs at churches, schools, and theatres, but I have continued teaching and enjoy learning different methods to share with my students. If there is one particular thing I try to emphasize, it is that consistent practice is the only way to improve (as cliche as that may sound).

I don't use any one method book. Instead I opt to pull from a variety of sources depending on the students age, background, and skill level. In terms of repertoire, I focus almost exclusively on classical music. While I am a fan of other genres, I also firmly believe that building a solid, classically-based technical foundation is the only way to really become proficient on any instrument. A student simply is not going to develop by just playing his or her favorite pop songs. It can be tedious at times, but learning the piano in a more traditional manner is ultimately much more rewarding.