Teaching Philosophy
Philosophy
Music is the most powerful form of communication as it allows otherwise inexpressible thoughts and feelings of the performer to be expressed. As music also has the power to affect the thoughts and feelings of others, Sidsie stands by Robert Schumann when he said, “To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts — such is the duty of the artist.” Students that study piano with Sidsie will learn how to let their best light shine through their playing to touch the hearts of those that listen to them.
Curriculum
In order to achieve this, Sidsie provides her students with plenty of opportunities to develop their ears by training them to hear intervals, chord qualities, and transcribing melodies; increase their knowledge of music theory by teaching them basic theory terminology and analyzing the pieces they play; develop correct technique by teaching them how to play relaxed, effectively, and efficiently; and share their talents through various performance opportunities. These things increase their capacity to play from the heart as Sidsie helps each student find their unique voice.
Love of Music
Sidsie knows that it is easiest to play from the heart and enjoy playing the piano if students love the pieces they are learning. That is why she encourages her students to choose the pieces they play in the studio’s biannual recitals. The growth that occurs when students work on pieces they enjoy is exponential and exciting, and it is very rewarding to share that accomplishment with other students in the recitals. This process helps each student grow in their confidence and helps them learn how sharing their talents is an act of service.
Create
Another way that students can develop their own voice and express themselves is through writing their own music and arranging others’ works. Sidsie seeks to gives her students opportunities to tap into their creative sides and to guide them to express their own ideas. This also provides a great opportunity to learn more about how music works and why different musical techniques and genres affect people differently. Learning to improvise offers similar results in expressing oneself, and jazz is a great opportunity to develop that skill and expand one’s knowledge of music theory. Sidsie gives her interested students opportunities to try out these creative outlets.
Teaching Priorities
As each student's needs are unique, Sidsie is passionate about teaching correct principles and then guiding her students to find solutions to their own problems rather than just feeding them the right answers. She knows that students won’t always have a teacher with them to help them progress so she does her best to help her students think critically for themselves, which is a necessary skill in everyday life as well. This also builds confidence in the student, which will in turn affect every other aspect of their life.
Sidsie also understands the power of habit in order to achieve excellence in piano playing as well as in other activities and attributes in life. She teaches her students that practice itself does not make perfect, but that perfect practice makes perfect. She also teaches them that practice makes permanent, so in order to play something well, with ease, clarity, and musicality, one must do their best to create and develop good habits through practice techniques that Sidsie shows them.
Above all else, Sidsie strives to help students develop confidence in themselves, strengthen their love of music, express their unique strengths and ideas through the piano, and to become better people from the principles learned at the keyboard.