Learning how to play the piano also means learning how to use music to express and understand our complex inner workings. As a pianist, performer and educator who has built solid experiences in this field over the last 12 years, I believe that piano lessons are a therapy of sorts that help students assess their emotions, check-in with themselves, and learn how to deal with many stress-related factors such as fear of performing and physical tension.

"Listen if you want to be listened to"- and as an educator I've learned that I need to listen in different ways. My interest and continuous study of of Psychosynthesis and Ayurveda has helped and continues to help me form my teaching approach, both which have taught me the importance of concentration in activating our will, and given me the tools to apply various interdisciplinary methods to help my students recognise when their anxieties and fears are taking up too much space and how to place their attention on the qualities they already do express, using them to heighten their self-awareness during lessons, practice sessions, performances, and exams. 

Creating a safe space where the student is free to be themselves no matter how they’re feeling in the moment means being an educator who is also emotionally available, patient, and nurturing. More traditional authoritative teaching styles create a tense environment likely to negatively effect the learner’s confidence and self-esteem over time. Learners want reassurance, they want to feel like they are on the right track, or at least that they are on some sort of track, and that you're ready to guide them through it all.

True achievement lies in embracing long term goals. The aim is to help learners make friends with time and learn to love the whole process, from reading to interpretation. In music education as in learning a musical instrument, there are three important pillars: Practice, Theory & Solfège, and Performance. All three are extremely important in the learning experience because they allow the student to witness their progress as they move through the school year.