Teaching Philosophy

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Westchester, New York

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Differiation for Motivation

My basic teaching philosophy is to differentiate and tailor my lessons to the specific needs of each student. In designing my lessons around the individual needs of my students, I hope to foster an intense personal motivation that comes from inside of the student. I believe that the greatest musicians in history had intense personal motivation; they had a fire inside that consumed them and pushed them to achieve their dreams. It is my job to help build that fire in my students.

Tailoring to Preexisting Skills and Interests

When teaching the piano, I allow each student to explore the instrument in his or her own unique way. No two students are exactly alike; each student has his or her own learning style, background knowledge, natural musical ability, interests, tastes, opinions, personality, etc. The desire or motivation of the student is very important in successfully learning a musical instrument. By tailoring my lessons to the specific needs and interests of my students, I hope to increase their motivation and enthusiasm to learn. For example, after some basic skills have been mastered (music notation, chords, scales, hand position, fingering, etc.), I encourage my students to learn songs from their favorite bands or artists, which boosts their motivation and enthusiasm significantly.

Differentiation of Pacing

Another way I differentiate or tailor my lessons is in pacing. Because I teach such a wide variety of students (children, adolescents, and adults), I realize that some students do not have as much time to devote to practicing as other students. I allow my students to work at their own paces. This is not to say that I allow my students to be complacent when it comes to practicing; this is not the case at all because I always encourage a regular practicing schedule. I simply encourage my students to have the most enjoyable and rewarding experience that their work and/or school schedules will allow them to have.

The Joy Of Learning Music

Music can add so much joy and meaning to our lives. Learning to play a musical instrument can be a rewarding and powerful experience for anyone with the desire to learn. While the desire to learn must come from the student, the music teacher is a very important resource to guide the student through the musical journey. Time and time again students can get frustrated and discouraged when they first try to learn a new instrument. Also, students with months or years of experience under their belt can become bored if they are not given new and exciting challenges. This is where Dan’s Piano Lessons can come in to save the day.

Since 2005, Dan’s Piano Lessons has helped students from different walks of life, move from being frustrated and discouraged, to playing their instruments with confidence and enthusiasm. Dan’s Piano Lessons has worked with a variety of young students including: elementary, middle, and high school. Dan’s Piano Lessons has also taught a variety of adult students including: college students, business professionals, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, Wall Street executives, accountants, etc. With the help of Dan’s Piano Lessons, so many students have grown from not being able to play a single chord on the piano or guitar, to being able to play songs from their favorite artists and bands.

Some of the Dan’s Piano Lessons students have even reached musical proficiency levels in which they can now write their own songs. The ability to write your own music is a great power indeed! The ability to express your ideas creatively through music is a privilege that only a small and lucky segment of the population can enjoy. Dan’s Piano Lessons can take you or your child to this level!

Dan's Piano Lessons