Sung Ho Y  

4.7

  4.7 (6)

Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical

I strongly want to emphasize that one must master self-criticism. As a human being, I may not be available all the time for my students. I provide students with a precise demonstration and make sure they understand the concept by having them play it back for me. When the student is practicing the opening of Schumann's Humoreske, Op. 20 on their own, one must use a advanced recording device while practicing in order to articulate the proper way of portato and melodic legato in outer voice. If a student says that buying an expensive recording machine is a burden, I can use mine to record an entire studio lesson and provide him or her a compact disc or send recorded files electronically. Mr. Sherman taught me: "The one indispensable to making music and the holy grail of our existence was the primacy and refinement of the ear. For it is through our ears and their channel to the heart that we can identify and evaluate the smallest, the most refined distinctions of sound that is endlessly varied and colorful, and which is the very root and wine of our existence, of our addiction." In order to fulfill the mission of the pianist, we must pay attention to smallest details in the music.   Since there are numerous pieces for the piano, I believe that one must choose a certain type of repertoire to study. For me, I am proficient and interested in the Romantic, Baroque, and post-serialist music repertoire. Baroque music requires legato articulation with the multiple contrapuntal layers. Post-serialist music requires strict rhythmic sense along with reversible rhythm, and it also important to know each composers compositional language. I have experience with my research on Pierre Boulez's Second Piano Sonata and performing Messiaen's "The Spirit of Joy" and Frederic Rzewski's "American Ballades". Through my experience with this repertoire, I will suggest repertoire for my students and help them practice piano passionately.   It would have not been possible without lessons and guidance from Wha Kyung Byun, Russell Sherman, and Christopher Taylor. Outwardly, the life of pianist is described as truly beautiful; yet in its core, it requires to have thousands hours of preparation until the completion of artistic perfection. At the final touch of one's performance, one must have steadfast willpower. I always tell myself over and over: "I can follow in a pianist's footsteps forever". In Boston and New York, after listening to solo recitals performed by Russell Sherman, I was deeply moved by his performance. I heard through his wife who described Mr. Sherman's sacrificial preparation. I learned from him that "if the students were to develop and flourish then the faculty must live up to these same high standards". I learned the importance of dedication and sacrifice to the piano.   Among memorable solo recitals, I vividly remember the end of recitals when I was listening to the sound of applause from the audience. For instance, after the last chord in Liszt's B Minor Sonata, I received positive energy from the audience, and I felt that I have improved over the decade. The length of the solo recital is shorter than the hundreds of artistic goals. One must endure trial and error. I love to share my experience of the recital process with gardening. One must water and raise flowers every single day and practicing daily with concentration will result in the completion of a beautiful garden. In every concert and recital of my own, I felt bliss and appreciation following the path of a musician with my own ability to persevere.   For me, playing the piano is the medium that allows me to dream and hope the existence of transcendental art. I believed in my gift throughout my education, and I have polished my pianistic and artistic skills every day. The process of learning will never end, and I will learn from my potential students. 

For begnning studnets who are children, I usually use Bartok's Mikrokosmos in order to teach their basic hand shaps. For audult, I use Alfred's Group Piano Class for textbook. I teach basic pianistic skills along with music theory.   I have had considerable experience teaching undergraduate majors in several different types of settings, including group piano and private studio lessons. I taught a fundamental music class for college students who were majoring in music. I have taught classes as a collaborative pianist with young prodigies and college brass players. In each class, I apply the crucial elements of music theory such as harmonic analysis, counterpoint, and transposition. I desire to strengthen their understanding of the musical character and have them associate literary figures with music. In order to grasp poetic implication and musical character in music, I highly recommend each student investigate a composer's life. Character in music is regarded as the most important task for a musician. In order to understand the concept of formulating suitable musical character at the most needed passages, one must read music literature that shares multicultural background and philosophies. For example, Mozart's music is the resource of anthropology that contains nuances, the movements of the Viennese waltz, and social norm. I approach my teaching and lead discussions with both a concert pianist's passion and scholarly rigor. I aim to inspire passion for the piano and challenge my students to explore a variety of repertoires. A musical performance can be compared to a painter who puts together colorful lines in varying thickness to formulate an overall design, because it builds a collection of undulating melodies and chords in various measures. The spirit of dance was introduced in order to completely convey ideas of Ländler, Musett, and minuet. Beethoven, for example, did not entitle the light of the moon in Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, but one can imagine meditative moments through their interpretation under the moonlight. Storytelling is a very successful teaching method when explaining several themes in piano repertoires. Imagination is key to perform music successfully. I tend to invite students to share their teaching and learning experiences. For example, a music education student might share how she had to assess her student's repertoire level to scaffold her curriculum. Listening thoughtfully to their errors, I hope to improve my teaching skills so my students can achieve the most favorable outcome. I grew up having two parents who were teachers, and they influence my teaching philosophy and the good nature in which I approach my students. Through the bond I have with my parents, I learned that the relationship between a teacher and a student compares to that of parental devotion and sacrifice. I am constantly inspired by my mentors, parents, and other artists, and I hope to perform and interact with students who are equally as devoted to being multifaceted musicians.