About Me

Background: I started playing piano at the age of 3, playing a Christmas carol in front of my church congregation. At 5, I started formal training. I have had 14 years of piano lessons, 12 of which were from a wonderful teacher, Lilia Wilson, an elegant lady who, at the time Castro took power, escaped from Cuba, married an American CIA agent, and settled down to a quiet life in a small town in Iowa. Now deceased, she herself was taught by the world famous Chilean pianist, Claudio Arrau. To read about Arrau, see: http://www.princeton.edu/~gpmenos/biography.html. I'm told that my tutorial lineage goes back through Arrau all the way to Liszt. Piano runs in our family, and my brother is a Suzuki piano teacher. For about 5 years in my teens I was the church pianist. In college I continued with my lessons under another teacher, and then in graduate school I sang and played in a band to help put myself through school. I spent a year in Germany after that, where I taught piano and English and played in various bands and ensembles. Since then, I have taught off and on for about 20 years. I am also an artist and an English teacher with an M.A. in English Literature.

Method: What I usually do is interview students (you or your child) and see what they have done and what they want to do. If children are shy, then I talk to the parents together with them. Then I go from there, constructing a plan for their individual needs and interests.  Sometimes I incorporate some Suzuki books and methods in my teaching, among other methods.  Although there are some strategies that work for quite a few students, I have a flexible style of teaching as opposed to just one method, because in my experience, people have different learning styles and respond to different techniques. I think that teaching piano, or teaching anything really, involves a delicate combination of imparting one's own knowledge/ experience to students and empowering them to find their own way. If students need guidance with books, I have some favorite classic books that are "old friends" for me, but if they already have books and want to continue with them, I easily adapt my teaching strategies to whatever books are available.
As a child, I was motivated by my love for particular composers, melodies, motifs, emotions evoked by major or minor keys, hand positions and movements that felt like dancing, and even visually pleasing and familiar book covers and images. Playing in bands, recitals and various social occasions has also energized me, offering chances to share my music with friends, relatives, and the general public . Because of my own experience, I like to find in individual students whatever it is that sparks their own love affair with music. Helping the student to tap into music's natural charm is the foundation of my method.

Rates: My rates are reasonable and negotiable. Lessons are about 30 minutes or so, but I'm not that strict about the time unless I get really busy. My location is in the Irish Channel in New Orleans, but I sometimes conduct lessons in the students' homes. As far as availability, I have openings on most weekdays after 2 pm, depending on your location, and on weekends, I am flexible.