Jodie’s Studio
About
Since the age of four I have been immersed in an art and skill that I love and have a strong desire to share. My personal experiences as a piano student, both positive and negative, have developed and shaped me into the musician and teacher that I am today.
Through the elements of discovery, expression and communication, self-discipline and self-awareness, as well as celebration of achievement I have been able to merge my love of music with my love of people in my role as teacher. At this early age I had the wonderful experience of being allowed to explore the piano, getting to know the geography of the keys, and making connections between what my musical ear desired and how my fingers could produce that desired effect. This freedom to travel around the keyboard is an element of my teaching style as I encourage my students to take time to just 'play' in addition to their directed practising sessions. Discovery is one of the joys of the piano that I enjoy sharing and one of the reasons that I look forward to a new students' first lessons. The 'downside' of this is that if this freedom is not balanced with structure then when structure is introduced it may feel restrictive or a child may feel a sense of slowing progress or 'standing still'.
I find it extremely rewarding to witness the growth of a student into the stage of truly expressing himself or herself through piano playing. The moment that a student first realizes that he or she has drawn a picture with the music is priceless. I encourage this from the beginning of our lessons however, it is a very personal moment and so some are able to connect to the expressiveness of the music immediately while others may not truly grasp the feeling of communicating through the music for many years. Regardless of when it happens, it is always an indescribable moment when the proverbial light bulb goes on! Musical expression was an outlet for me as a young person and I worked with teachers who nurtured this as well as one teacher who didn't. Working the latter was just a chore, something to do; working with the former were the years that caught me and kept me playing. I felt that I had an avenue to express my feelings and attempt to find the composers’ meaning behind the music. I love to take students to this same moment and celebrate the art in their music-making.
Another area of teaching that I find exciting is encouraging my students to be self-aware; identifying the things that they are doing well, the things they need to alter, and disciplining themselves to set aside the time and effort it takes to do so. What a delight when a student and I discover a challenge, set a goal, find a strategy, apply it for the week with support at home and the goal is met. I am truly passionate about the role of studying music in the development of a person's life habits.
One of the biggest influences on my teaching is my almost lifelong experience with the Suzuki Philosophy and Method. I have been a student, parent, and a teacher of this wonderful approach to music and life. I encourage all families to purchase and read Nurtured by Love, by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki.
Being surrounded with positive is so essential to helping children develop the mindset needed for success in life. Although I don't believe in false praise, I try to look for at least one thing each week to celebrate. Even if it's sitting on the bench better than the week before, the student needs to know that I am noticing improvement. Also, I have a very effective way of trying to eliminate negative words like 'never' or 'don't' in my explanations, suggestions, or critiques. I attempt to use wording like 'always' and 'try this instead'. I find that this draws the best out of my students. This is my way of helping students to understand that finding errors in an attempt to do something new and challenging is not a negative thing, it's a skill to foster. Being self-critical and accepting suggestions from others should not feel like an attack but a boost. In closing, I am dedicated to bringing the best out of my students. I treat each student/parent/teacher relationship as a unique journey and am constantly surprised and delighted in the results.-1.png)