Peyton W  
Instruments: Piano, Violin
Styles: Classical, Folk, Showtunes

My teaching experience dates back to high school, when I began giving private violin and piano lessons part time 8 years ago. Since that time I've continued to teach in the Puyallup area as well as in Bellingham and Mt Vernon. I’ve used many teaching models over the years on students of all ages from very diverse backgrounds. I did most of this through trial and error; learning that very young children do best with short structured and repetative lessons, while teenagers can benefit more from targeted lessons that switch focus every week, and what to do when a student struggles because of stress in their home. Learning in this fashion has taught me something really important to teaching private lessons. Adaptability. All of my students took lessons because they wanted to improve their ability to play music. I desperately wanted my students to enjoy learning their instruments and music they learned; knowing how easy it is to feel burnt out from too many scales and disappointed by slow progress. So I started asking my students, even the 6 year old, why they wanted to play an instrument and what they wanted to achieve. To my surprise, everyone, including that 6 year old, had a clear answer. All of them were different reasons and goals. I started writing notes at the end of each lesson on what a student had specifically struggled with, mastered, showed signs of improvement since the previous lesson, what exercises were draining on them, and what exercises they resonated with. I also took note of their mood and energy at the beginning of the lesson compared to the end. Lessons should not be something so draining that students dread coming back the following week. When I implemented the idea of teaching students techniques they need by creating individualized lesson plans, I immediately noticed a difference in my students! By studying core techniques unique to your needs, I’ll show you how to gain control over your instrument and play freely.

Although I have a classically trained background, I understand that some students don't respond well to the “traditional" Suzuki style learning. So, I like to assess a student before recommending books and or repertoire for them or their parents to purchase. I plan unique lesson plans for each student based on several determining factors including level of playing, age, learning curves, learning styles, what their goals for lessons are, and how much practice time they want to commit to per week (…which is usually a different number to students than it is to parents). In addition to lesson and scale books I like to heavily supplement technical material, finger strengthening exercises, repertoire appropriate to playing level, and theory. I also send students home with ‘listening homework’ from time to time, which includes listening to works from famous composers on youtube and then having a brief conversation about those pieces at the start of our next lesson. I believe understanding the scope of an instrument from more than just the “technical” aspect of it really enhances the learning experience and makes students value the techniques they are learning. However, beyond anything else, music should be enjoyed. So I try to find the best balance between having fun and improving you're ability to play.