TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

                      “MUSIC IS ENOUGH FOR A LIFETIME -

                                        BUT A LIFETIME IS NOT ENOUGH FOR MUSIC.”

                                                        - SERGEI RACHMANINOFF

        I believe that it is important to share my love of music. Music for me is a means of expression in beauty and variety; it is a language. When words stop, music continues to communicate. And if one is blessed with a musical gift, it is his or her responsibility to develop the talent and share it with others. I embrace teaching as an opportunity to inspire and empower and am always fascinated with working in a triangular relationship–student, teacher and music score–as three live participants at the lessons.

        I see myself as an artistic teacher. And my teaching approach is based on adhering to the composer's score and coupling this with listening. I discuss with my students their understanding of the music, and try to enhance it with meaningful suggestions. After 13 years of teaching piano, not only have I learned what tools and methods enhance the teaching environment, but I have also learned from my mistakes–and these lessons have served in refining my teaching philosophy.

        My primary goal in teaching is to make the study of piano and playing music engaging, fulfilling, communicative, and convincing. As I reflect upon my academic career, it is clear that my pedagogical stance has been greatly influenced by all four of my major mentors–Daniel Pollack, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Boris Slutsky and Zoia Karchaskaya (pupils of legendary Russian pianists and pedagogues Josef Lhévinne and Rosina Lhévinne, renowned Polish pianist and educator Marek Jablonski, Anna Kantor–who has remained Evgeny Kissin's only teacher, and Lev Naumov–who was also the pupil of Russian pianist and pedagogue Heinrich Neuhaus). My four mentors are absolutely passionate in their dedication to music, their devotion to their students, and to their profession–dedication which has greatly inspired me. It is with them in mind that I turn to my own teaching philosophy.

SOUND QUALITY:

        I read the score carefully and help my students to comprehend all markings, dynamic changes, mood indications, and the entire structure of the piece. I patiently work with my students on fingerings, voicing, dynamics, articulation, musical lines, and pedal. Balancing the sound correctly, establishing the musical direction and movement, projecting rich sound, and paying careful attention to the subtleties of timing are among my chief concerns.

        I analyze music with my students for clarity and musical production, and explain to them how to use wrist and hand movements to achieve beautiful sound and convey different moods and colours. Colour diversity, I believe, is not encouraged enough. I help my students understand harmonic structure, which enables them to comprehend mood suggestions. Also, sound varies by musical style, period, and composer. Each piece of music requires a different sound, possibly a different attitude, even sometimes a different body posture. Thus, my students learn how to adjust their sounds accordingly.

        Technically, I teach my students functional playing, without wasted motions at the keyboard. I use easy-to-understand language; and often my suggestions are accompanied by demonstrating on the piano, or employing conducting to help my students develop a feeling for the musical movement, sustained long lines, and pulse.

TECHNIQUE:

        Adequate technique plays both an essential and important role in musical development. I believe that good technique brings clarity, control of the sound, and speed to one's performance. Since a single piece usually includes many technical elements, a student should master those elements before playing the piece. I require that my students practice five-finger exercises, double-thirds, scales, double-thirds scales, arpeggios, octaves, and chord progressions in different rhythmic patterns, with different places of accentuation, and utilize exercises in clarity of voicing. Regardless of the students' abilities and technical prowess, I believe that that practicing techniques should be done daily and consistently. And, although technique development is generally considered to be most effective in pre-college years, I believe that if a student has determination then there is no age limit for developing technique.

PRACTICE WITH RELAXATION:

        I observe my students carefully, give them directions and guidance on how to practice and clarify what needs to be achieved in practice. I physically show students, point by point, how to play correctly, how to keep the hands in the correct position and also how to relax at the correct points in the music.

        It is important to know the connection between slow practicing and fast playing. In slow practicing, movements of the hands and body motions have to be similar to those used in the fast tempo. I also explain the necessity of knowing what one wants to achieve, and deciding how he or she will achieve the wanted result when practicing.

        I am very aware of the significance of practicing with relaxation, and feel that one of my responsibilities is to help students feel comfortable at the piano. I teach them to keep the wrists flexible at all times, to transfer the weight from the lower back into the fingertips, and to play with firm fingertips while raising and relaxing each finger immediately after playing. I coach them to avoid overexertion as it can cause injuries.

        Moreover, a composer needs inspiration to put music on paper. I believe that it is crucial to try to understand what the composer intended when he created the piece. I encourage my students to work creatively rather than just exercising their fingers. Thus, when they practice, music making is involved from the beginning.

MEMORIZATION:

        Practicing and “hearing” away from the piano are skills that are essential to perfecting memorization. In the memorization process, it is very important that students pay close attention to all of the moods, characters, musical phrasings, slurs, dynamic markings, tempo changes, key changes, harmony changes and modulations from the very beginning of the learning process so that they can increase their accuracy while performing, become more convincing in their performance, and also become efficient with time. The act of writing some “reminder points” on the score is also a tool I encourage so that the students can resume playing from where they had previously left off. Eventually, the student will learn the complete piece once they are able to mentally perform it with neither piano nor score.

CHAMBER MUSIC:

        I believe that chamber music is absolutely essential for performing art. As an experienced chamber musician, pianist and string performer, I enjoy coaching chamber music very much. I am constantly convinced of the extraordinary value it offers in teaching anyone how to listen, to make music with other musicians, to transmit musical moods from one to another, to appreciate the sounds of other instruments, and to create a whole new spectrum of colours and sonority.

REPERTOIRE SELECTION & INTERPRETATION:

        In selecting repertoire, it is important to cover as many different musical styles and periods as possible. I prefer that my students take the initiative in selecting repertoire. They should develop their own vision of the piece by “listening” to what their emotions and brain tell them, expressing themselves fully and letting their own personalities come out. However, if necessary, I also guide my students in choosing their repertoire, which must include at all times one composition each from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic/Impressionistic periods, as well as the Twentieth Century, plus a virtuoso Etude and a Piano Concerto.

        As for the interpretation, I constantly search for structural continuity. As long as their interpretation is convincing, I support it.

RECORDINGS & CULTURAL EVENTS:

        I encourage my students to listen to many recordings to help them develop their own imagination and unique personality. Fortunately, Southern California so rich in resources, enabling students to experience a broad spectrum of cultural events. I feel that if one absorbs a variety of cultures and experiences now, one will have more to give in the future.

COMPETITIONS:

        I also encourage my students to participate in competition. I teach my students to make their own decisions and to be self-motivated so they can be confident and proud of their own achievements.

        I feel strongly that, in order to guide students through their own personal feelings and convictions, I should help them build artistic qualities upon their personalities along with their abundant life experiences. I work diligently at developing my students' abilities and individual capacities, and trying to inspire their own musicality, sensitivity, imagination and passion for music. Since music is an expression of our emotions, I hope that under my patient, careful and enthusiastic guidance, they will eventually be able to have the ability to “touch” people and deliver a musical message through their artistic and technical talents.

        I love sharing knowledge and having a positive effect on my students’ lives. When I see that I am helping to spark their lifelong interest in learning as well as their appreciation for music, it gives me great satisfaction and makes my life truly worthwhile. As a teacher, this is my aim, my philosophy, and my ethos.