Molly S
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical, Pop
Molly S
Instruments: Piano
Styles:
Classical, Pop
Where I Teach:
My Studio
Online
Ages Taught: 5-69
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
DMA, The Pennsylvania State University MM, The State University of New York at Buffalo BM, The State University of New York at Buffalo
Awards:
2008 - First Prize in Adult Group - The 17th American Music Open Competition 2007 - First Prize in Adult Group - The 14th Hong Kong Asian Piano Competition 2006 - First Prize in Youth Group - The 6th Dandelion Teenage and Youth Piano Competition 2005 - Third Prize in Adult Group - The YAHAMA Asian Piano Competition
Overview:
I am a passionate and motivated instructor who loves working with students and sharing my love of music. I graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance. As an active piano soloist and chamber musician, I have played recitals and performed a wide range of repertoire in different locations both nationally and internationally, including New York, Boston, Cleveland, Buffalo, State College, Montclair, Beijing, and Dalian. Also, I has participated in music festivals and events which including New York Music Festival, Piano Texas international Academy & Festival, Marian Garcia International Piano Festival, and Music Teachers National Association Conferences. Also, I have taken part in master classes with Richard Goode, Jeremy Denk, Alexander Kobrin, Alvin Chow, Louis Lortie, and Seymour Lipkin.
EXPERIENCE
As a piano teacher, I have had more than ten years of teaching experience. I was the piano instructor in several music schools and maintained a private piano studio when I did my graduate study in Buffalo. I have taught students of different ages, from five year olds to adults, whose grade levels also varied from beginner to intermediate to advanced. I tailored my teaching to the strengths, weaknesses and interests of each individual student. Many of them have since passed piano grade examinations and gained success in music competitions. While pursuing my doctoral degree, I was one of a handful of graduate teaching assistants at Penn State University that my duties included delivering individual piano lessons to music majors, and group piano lessons to non-majors. I have a wealth of experience teaching piano to a diverse group of students. By developing my students' listening, playing and thinking, I not only improved their piano technique, but also increased their understanding and appreciation of music.
METHODS USED
For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Burnam's A Dozeon A Day and Faber's Piano Adventures. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For students who take ABRSM exam, I will not only focus on playing of three repertoire, but also the skills of sight-playing and ear-training. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. In the meanwhile of learning classical master pieces, I like to explore contemporary pieces such as Jazz and pop songs with my students to make the learning process more of fun.
LESSON STYLE
Nothing is more important than seeing my students develop passion for music! During individual lessons, I applied various strategies and focused on personalized ways to help my students solve their performance issues. I exercised patience and looked for even small improvements to praise with verbal encouragement and rewards for younger students. I broke down students' difficulties by incorporating various speeds, articulations, dotted rhythm practice, and minimum motion. When students encountered performance problems, I told stories of my own struggles and those of well-known composers to draw their interest and calm their anxieties. I used other activities such as walking, running, dancing, and boxing to demonstrate performance techniques and to make students understand the importance of natural gesture, inertia, and relaxation. I provided students with a "Good Sound" repertoire that spanned different levels of difficulty and incorporated folk, popular, jazz, and traditional classical music to match their needs and interests. I organized regular recitals to encourage students' daily practice and nurture their public performance skills to overcome stage fright. I also prepared and helped students to participate in auditions, music festivals, and competitions.
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