Rachel M
Home
Studio 
Online
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Latin, Electronic, Showtunes, Spirituals, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age
Rachel M
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Musical Theater, Latin, Electronic, Showtunes, Spirituals, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age
Where I Teach:
In Your Home
My Studio
Online
Ages Taught: 5-80
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
B.A. Swarthmore College, Music History and Theory University of Nottingham, England - courses in music performance and criticism M.D. Cum Laude Jefferson Medical College
Awards:
Garrigues Scholar (awarded for musical excellence and leadership) - Swarthmore College
Barbara Lang Scholar (awarded to excellent third year music students) - Swarthmore College
Winner Swarthmore College Concerto Competition, performed at Lang Hall
PA Governer's School for the Arts - piano performance major
American Music Scholarship Association National Piano Competition - Regional First Place,National Second Place
West Chester University Piano Competition, Second Place
Overview:
I am a creative and enthusiastic teacher who believes that music is for everyone. Whether you are a child or a teenager or an adult, whether you are experienced or learning for the first time and whether or not you believe you have "talent", music is for you because music is a quality of human expression. I was provided traditional, classical training in piano from my earliest years, developing excellent technique and an ability to express myself at the piano that I love to share. I expanded and deepened my understanding of music further with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music History and Theory at Swarthmore College where I also continued to hone my performance skills. After that, I had a wonderful adventure as a medical doctor with a speciality in family medicine until music called me back again in the summer of 2002. One thread that is common to both careers has been my consistent love of teaching which I now understand as my true calling.
EXPERIENCE
I've been teaching piano to students of all ages as my sole profession since 2002. I usually have between 20 and 25 students at a time. I have also earned certification through the Music Teachers National Association through a combination of testing and proofs of competency. I keep up to date professionally through my memberships in Lancaster Music Teachers Association and the Main Line Music Teachers Association, the National Guild of Piano Teachers and in my role as the Center Coordinator for the Music Development Program. Most of all though, I've learned from my students, who are always the best teachers. The part I love best about my job is that I get to cater the curriculum to each student individually. Each student can have their own "best assignment".
METHODS USED
I keep a "Piano Homework Assignment" Word document for each student on my laptop which I can then email to you after your lesson is over for reference during the week. A usual assignment would consist of a "Warm Up" section where we focus on hand position or scales or technique, a "Lesson Book" or "Repertoire" section where we work on new pieces or songs, a "Theory" section for written assignments, a "Fun" list for pieces we are done with but want to keep playing just for fun and then a number of special sections depending on student interest. Special sections might be things like - improvisation, composition, playing by ear, recital or competition prep, exam prep, sight reading, ear training, etc. I'm comfortable in few method series but I prefer Faber Piano Adventures for typical beginning children and The Music Tree for very young beginners. I try to make sure each student has a piece they love every week.
LESSON STYLE
I think that students learn best when they are relaxed and having fun. So, anything I can do to keep it light - whether it's drawing a picture to make a point or making up silly words to learn a complex rhythm or using crayons to mark the sections in our music - is a win in my book! Laughing and making mistakes are a big part of learning. When my students make errors, I don't scold, I say "good for you, now we can learn something!" I believe that it is both possible and critical to develop the student-teacher relationship as a collaboration.
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REVIEW
Sara
My daughter is still young and has trouble sitting still. Mrs. Rachel M. keeps her engaged, learning, and having fun! She is excellent!!
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