It is difficult to describe what I do as a teacher, or, how I go about teaching without a phone conversation.
Texting is such an inferior form of communication.

From my experience, I am convinced if a child is dedicated, practicing and teachable, it usually does not matter which method is utilized.

I have taught children from the age of 3.5 years old, to the older kids-at-heart – in their mid 80’s in age.
I’ve had the pleasure to be challenged with different kinds of students with handicaps including autism, Asperger Syndrome, and blindness.
(In fact, if a student has a learning disability, I’ve often been the first to notice it and follow up with the appropriate school representative.)

My early background in Philosophical Psychology and working as a social worker at the Addiction Research Foundation in Ontario, has given me a unique uncanny ability to understand the idiosyncratic character of each child (or adult student). And my Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Visual Arts Department at York where I lectured, gave me more opportunities to help students discover not just how to do something or complete something, but how to be patient and curious doing that process.

I am the only music teacher that I know that gives out Award Trophies to students at year’s end. The five Awards are for Dedication to Practice.
I have learned from the hundreds of students I’ve had, that talent accounts for little without commitment and practice.
I have very high expectations of my students.
I am rarely disappointed.

What do I Offer?

My teaching “style” has been acquired through 4 decades of experience. I offer an Examination route, but I encourage students’ families to postpone this until they get to about a Grade V Level. When they pass an Examination at Level V (usually, but not necessarily Academic through the Royal Conservatory of Toronto) instead of studying Level VI, I teach Jazz and Blues.
In a typical first year, students are not allowed to look at the piano keys for about 3 months. Their hands are covered. I teach them how to read music by Interval Recognition on a page translated to appropriate key strokes with their fingers on the keyboard. By understanding intervals, one can play well anywhere on a keyboard fairly soon.
Theory is mandatory at every lesson from the first Lesson.
Beginner Students will spend about 3-4 weeks learning Sight-Rhythm-Clapping before they touch a keyboard.
Visitors at my end of year Recitals often rave about the rhythm of all the students playing.

Therefore, if you or your children study with me, they will begin at the appropriate Level demonstrated by their Sight-Rhythm, Sight-Reading and simple Theoretical concepts and knowledge of basic musical terminology (such as, note/rest names and values, Clefs, Grand Staff lines & space names extrapolated to the appropriate place on a piano, etc.) All of my students learn all of this within the first 3 months of lessons and usually sooner.
Your children will not see a formal Conservatory book until they can read at about a Grade III Level. Instead, they will be playing, and learning, 2-5 different pieces each week that get them to that same Conservatory Level, but have way more fun and less monotony than those poor souls forced to learn in an Academic Examination Program.

{Often, transfer students need to start all over again, but they pick up things quickly.}

That’s it in a nutshell!

After reading this, if you are still interested in taking lessons with me, please phone or email me to arrange a meet and greet appointment. If that goes well, I offer 4 Lessons free to see if the new student and I are are good ‘fit’.

I know no one else that trusts their teaching method that well.

ciao

Ron 250-881-5549
musiciswaycool@gmail.com