I grew up in Millinocket, Maine and began taking piano lessons in 3rd grade at age 8 from Mrs. Ruth Bouchard, my church’s organist.  I remember being frustrated at having to wait two whole years until I was 8 to take piano lessons because she didn’t accept students younger than that.  That is why I will take students as young as 5 on a probationary status.  I loved the piano, loved playing, loved learning new pieces.  I would sometimes play as many as four hours a day after school.

In 7th grade I began accompanying the Jr. and Sr. High School choral groups, as well as playing piano in the Jazz bands.  I was the accompanist for the school Musicals and my junior year I was also the (youngest) Music Director for the Adult Community Theatre.  I sang in the Honors Chorus and was a member of the All State Chorus for three out of four years.  I was first chair in flute during high school and took guitar lessons for several years.  I played keyboards and sang in a local rock band during my high school years.  It was in 9th grade that I decided to begin teaching piano lessons out of my parent’s home instead of working at the local McDonalds to make money.  I had a piano studio of approximately 15-20 students consisting of children as well as adults.  In 1984 I received several music and piano awards my senior year in recognition of my years of service accompanying the various groups in middle school and high school.

I left to attend college at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan where I studied piano under Stephen Zegree, and one year with Phyllis Rappeport while Dr. Zegree was on sabbatical.  I majored in Music (Choral) Education and Jazz Studies.  I was a member of the Gold Company program (GCII) for two years where I composed and transcribed selections performed by the group.  While in the Gold Co. program I had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, the Manhattan Transfer, Andy Williams, Singers Unlimited and The Phil Mattson Singers, among others.  I also accompanied the Collegiate Singers my sophomore year, as well as for several voice studios during my years there.  For my Junior-year Piano Jury, I decided to perform a piano recital in my home-town of Millinocket, rather than in Kalamazoo.  I performed an hour of memorized music with selections from Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, Bartok, Copland and Gershwin.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music in 1991, along with a Journalism minor.

My professional experience began as early as my Junior year in High School when I was the Music Director for the Adult Community Theatre.  I have since been the Music Director for other theatre groups; I have performed in local rock and blues bands in Maine and Michigan as a keyboardist and vocalist; I have performed as a pianist, organist and vocalist for weddings, funerals and private parties; I have held several positions over the past twenty years as a church organist and choir director and am currently employed as such at the Christian Church - Disciples of Christ in Kalamazoo; my last piano performance was December 2004, Jennifer Finkle and Friends performing Holiday Music (a CD is available!).  I have taught piano lessons for 25 years and it is a vocation I truly enjoy.  My resume is available for review.

I have taught piano for 25 years and teach all ages and all levels.  I teach children as young as 6; I have adults who are new and continuing students; I also have a growing home-school base of students.

Each year I attend one or more workshops sponsored by local merchants, such as Marshall Music where I was employed for several years.  I also attend the Kalamazoo Area Music Teacher’s Association (KAMTA) monthly meetings.

Interest:  Has your child asked for lessons?  For how long?  How does your child react when you mention taking lessons?  Do they frequently go to the piano on their own?  Do they dance and move to music?

Basic Skills:  Can your child wiggle their fingers independently?  Can they say the alphabet, recognize and be able to write A through G, count-recognize-and-write the numbers 1 through 5?  Do they know left from right most of the time?

Parental Readiness:  Can you commit to the costs and time necessary for successful piano study?  Can you provide an appropriate practice environment for your child and encourage daily practice, especially right after a lesson?  Is there adequate time in your child’s schedule for practice?  Will you encourage your child to do their best, to not give up when the going gets rough?

Yes, I have recently implemented a "report card  progress report given in December and again in May.  I also pride myself in having a good communication system set up with my student’s parents.

As each student is an individual with different strengths and characteristics, I therefore plan my instructional materials according to each individual student’s needs and abilities.  The three main series of books I use are by Alfred, Bastien and Faber.  I also select a monthly Composer for the students to study as well as a Student of the Month featured on my website.

I don’t particularly mind if a student starts out on a keyboard for the parents to see whether this would be an ongoing activity for their child.  HOWEVER, students must be playing on a real piano by the time they begin Level 2.

WHY?  A keyboard is an electronic device, with sound coming out of speakers.  A piano is an acoustic instrument where keys strike strings to produce sound vibrations.  Keyboards rarely have one pedal, much less the three on a piano.  By Level 1 students will need to begin practicing with a pedal.  Piano keys are weighted and touch-sensitive.  A keyboard does not allow for playing any range of dynamics or articulation that a piano produces.  This is imperative for good technic.  In the long run with a keyboard, you are not getting a good return on your investment of piano lessons.  Fortunately you can rent or finance very good pianos for affordable monthly payments from local stores.

I focus on written music; I do NOT teach by ear.  The style of music I teach would be considered Classical.  I also teach pop music and church music (e.g. hymns).

I teach from a lesson book, a technic (skills) book, and a theory (homework) book.  I encourage supplemental books for performance purposes and just for fun.  I also give prizes for memorizing music.  I have a recently set up website which will have new information on it monthly.

No.

No, although I highly encourage participation.  I provide opportunities throughout the year for my students to grow in poise and confidence as performers, and equally important, to develop as knowledgeable, sensitive listeners.

Students who wish to may compete in the MMTA Student Achievement Testing each spring.  Students who are eligible may then compete in District Semi-Finals and/or State Student Day.  I also encourage middle school and high school students to take advantage of any performance competitions available to them through the public school system.

For beginning students, it is adequate that they practice each of their assigned songs two times each day.  The harder the music gets, the more time will be required in order to progress.  Students progress at different rates, but all students DO progress if they prepare their lessons at home as they should.

The main thing I expect from my students is to Make an Effort, NOT an excuse!  If you have time for goofing off, you certainly have time to practice!  Practice takes Patience, Responsibility, Attitude,
Consistency, Tenacity, Imagination, Concentration, and Energy!

Parents are the most valuable asset a student may have by trying to always make only positive comments about the music the student has been given and encouraging the student to play his/her favorite piece each week-a mini-concert for mom and dad with a heavy dose of praise.  Exposure to concerts and other musical events is great; even exposure to music played on the radio at home, is enormously beneficial to young children.  Please visit the following site for more:  http://www.mtna.org/choosemt.htm

The following celebrities and musicians have all spoken out on the value of music study:

B.B. King~Clint Black~Michael Bolton~Garth Brooks~Collective Soul~Sheryl Crow~Gloria Estefan~Kenny G~Danny Glover~The Goo Goo Dolls~Amy Grant~Issac Hayes~Faith Hill~Indigo Girls~Carole King~Dave Koz~Alison Kraus~Huey Lewis~Richard Marx~Reba McEntire~Tim McGraw~Willie Nelson~Itzhak Perlman~Kenny Rogers~Sesame Street Workshop~Sting~Take6~John Tesh~Travis Tritt~Vanessa Williams.

Music Advocacy Websites:
        
SupportMusic.com offers a wealth of information and resources to help you build a case for school music in your local area.

The American Music Conference features many resources for advocates as well as a wide range of information about music making for all ages.
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