About 'Music With Yvonne'
As a Royal Conservatory of Music Certified Piano Teacher with a Masters in Music Education, I focus on meeting the unique needs of each student.
I welcome students of all ages, from beginner to early advanced. Whether students are interested in learning to play for personal enjoyment or want to follow a more structured exam-based curriculum, lessons are matched to each student’s learning style, interests and abilities.
Recitals are not mandatory and memorization is not required. Many first time performers choose to do a duet with me or a parent before venturing into solo performance. A variety of on-line performance options are also offered to give students the opportunity to showcase their creativity and progress throughout the year.
I also teach preschool music classes for play groups and Family Child Care providers. Customized to the needs and requests of each preschool, classes include singing, movement, rhythm, music symbols, percussion instrument performance, and instrument exploration. These classes support preschool education standards. Young students build a strong musical foundation and many successfully begin private lessons at a young age because of this early introduction to music.
Located in south San Jose, the studio has enrolled students from San Jose, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Fremont, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and surrounding areas. With the option of on-line lessons, students from southern California study with me.
Scheduling to meet a variety of needs
I have extensive experience teaching on-line piano lessons, ranging from complete beginners to students who successfully achieve high marks in piano assessments. While nothing compares to the one-on-one teacher/student experience, on-line learning plays a significant role in the piano studio.
Parents have discovered that their child can progress with on-line lessons so there is no need to battle rush hour traffic to make it to a lesson on time. Lessons can also continue while traveling, or if a child is not well enough to come to the studio, but is still able to have their lesson.
I offer in-person, hybrid, on-line, and asynchronous lesson formats. Tuition is the same for all lesson formats.
I recently taught students in Hawaii, Greece, Australia, and Indonesia through on-line and asynchronous learning!
In-person Lessons
Students attend weekly lessons in the studio. Health and safety protocols apply to minimize the impact of Covid.
Hybrid Lessons
On-line lessons can be very successful so I offer hybrid lessons. Students mix in-person and on-line lessons to suit their needs. The lesson time remains the same, regardless of the lesson format, making scheduling easy.
On-line Lessons
For those who prefer on-line lessons, I offer 100% virtual lessons.
Asynchronous Lessons
Asynchronous lessons are perfect for those traveling or with variable schedules who can’t make their scheduled lesson. Students submit video recordings of their assignments and I review and provide direction just as if they had an in person or on-line lesson.
My Teaching Philosopy
Even before birth, children are musical beings, surrounded by the rhythm of their mother’s heartbeat, her steps, and the sounds of the outside world. We are innately musical and need music to be complete beings. Research has proven that children exposed to music at an early age acquire language and reading skills sooner and at a much faster rate than their non-musical peers. The longer a child studies music the longer all these benefits last into adulthood.
Music provides an aesthetic experience, the essence of humanity, and is that which sets us apart from other animals. When we are fully immersed in creating or deliberately listening to music, we are transported to a place that involves our entire being. Teaching students how to create and perform music gives them the ability to more completely immerse themselves in this aesthetic experience and appreciate music for its own sake, not view it as background noise. Students express themselves personally and culturally through the music they create.
Musical study teaches problem solving, perseverance, creativity, and cooperation. These are essential life skills and in high demand in the workplace. A person who excels in these skills is more resilient in life and is better able to champion those around them, in large part by encouraging and teaching these skills to others.
Societies teach and pass along culture via their music. Through studying the music of other cultures with my students, I hope to bring awareness and understanding that while we are all different, no one is a less important member of my classroom. I encourage students to share and explain the music that is meaningful to them, not only to teach other musical forms but to help students understand themselves better.
A student who understands their own and other’s perspectives is more equipped to face the challenges of the world and better acknowledge other people’s cultures and beliefs.
My students will learn how to appreciate each other’s differences and how to apply these differences to create an experience that is more than just a group of individuals making music. They will learn to be a community supporting and celebrating each other’s uniqueness. They will learn to speak out and have a say in what is important and relevant to them. Students will be active in repertoire selection and will discover why some music is well-suited for their classroom community and other music may be inappropriate.
My goal as a music educator is to guide students to strive to achieve their full potential. I will help them to discover who they are, and to better understand the people they interact with. They will learn how to express themselves musically both as an individual and as a member of a community. Through the study of music, students will learn to appreciate the aesthetic and acquire essential life skills that transcend music. They will learn how to choose a life path that is meaningful and important to them, not necessarily the path they are told they must take. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of their choices, not just musically but in life. Most of all, students will learn to adapt to ever changing circumstances – there is a solution to every problem that confronts us.