I see music education not as an end in itself, but as a means for students to become enterprising, expressive, and empathetic people. In school, children learn advanced math not because they will all become mathematicians, but because it provides them with thinking skills that can be applied well beyond the classroom. Music is a similar kind of “stretching” exercise for children, since it allows them to develop consistency and focus, teamwork skills, and a greater understanding of themselves as social and emotional beings. Master teacher Shinichi Suzuki wrote that when children learn music, “they develop sensitivity, discipline, and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.” I strive to center each of my own students' development as people. I celebrate their musical successes as evidence of their exemplary hard work, emotional intelligence, and capacity for collaboration.

           

The most basic skill a teacher can impart is that of learning itself. Music students do not start out with an innate ability to practice effectively or incorporate feedback from lessons. Instead, they must learn these skills. With beginning violin students, I take the time to break down each task into achievable chunks, pushing them to the limit of their abilities but never asking for too big a leap. Simultaneously, I teach my students (and their practice partners) how to practice effectively, which gives them the tools to improve at their instrument and also cultivates more broadly applicable skills such as focus, discipline, and good time management. When a student learns to play "Hot Cross Buns," they have done much more than learn a single song; they have laid the groundwork for a lifetime of productivity and continuous learning.

           

As a student develops their individual capacities as a learner and as a musician, they become diligent, self-aware, and expressive. Only by playing with other musicians, however, can the student put those hard-earned abilities into practice as a social being. From the first lesson, I use duet playing to teach rhythm, intonation, and expression. Just as children learn to be fully-fledged humans by imitating and interacting with adults, so can beginner music students grow to maturity by playing with more advanced musicians. I encourage my students to take part in as many ensemble music opportunities as they can (including studio group classes, school ensembles, and youth orchestra programs), in order to expand this process of musical maturation into the realm of collaboration with peers. By working with musicians closer to their own age and level of ability, students learn problem-solving, project management, and conflict resolution skills in the service of a beautiful goal: the creation of art.

           

A music student’s journey should mirror and complement their journey as a human being. In my teaching, I work hard to ensure that each activity, instruction, and interaction that occurs during the lesson will serve the student not only as a creative and technically proficient violinist, but also as a productive, self-aware, and socially conscious person. To quote Suzuki once more, “perhaps it is music that will save the world.”