teaching
At the heart of my teaching is the belief in helping students build their own relationship with music.
My over 20 years of teaching success can be summarised as a combination of passion, musicianship and methodology. Learn more about my teaching philosophy below, or sign up for a trial lesson today!
My teaching philosophy
Technique and musicianship, goal-driven approach and sustainability are the three pillars of my teaching philosophy. Through building a strong foundation in technique and musicianship, I help young musicians find their artistic identity, set and achieve goals, as well as acquire sustainable skillset critical for life-long playing and development.
One cannot express themselves musically without proper technique to master the instrument. My fundamental goal is to guide students through the journey of discovery: their interest, passion, ambition, and ultimately themselves, while building them up with a thorough understanding of how the instrument and the body work efficiently together.
Through the process of learning music, they understand not only music, but also themselves better, in order to establish their own relationship with music.
Every student is unique, and every one of them comes with a different set of talent, training, skills and knowledge. My teaching is, based on the same principles, therefore delivered differently and tailored to each individual. This includes, perhaps surprising to many, technique — don’t forget they come in all shapes and sizes! My job is to help them explore their own passion and potential, appreciate their strengths and build a career from there.
what the students want to achieve with playing the cello and music. Some of them want to become professional musicians, others simply enjoy playing cello as a hobby and want to get better.
There are no goals too big or too small.
I like to set realistic, achievable goals with students, no matter how small they are. We map out possible pathways and landmarks that act as indicators of our progress. I believe in a patient, step-by-step way, that gives them consistent feedback on their progress. We build a strong foundation and tweak our small goals along the way, without losing sight of the big picture.
Sustainability refers to the longevity of a cellist’s performance life. This is particularly important for those who want to pursue a professional career in performance, which often means intensive schedule of rehearsals and performances. It is not uncommon that a professional musician plays for 6-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. Moreover, as we age, our body changes so does our playing.
We need to have a very comprehensive and detailed understanding of the mechanics of our body and its relationship with the cello, a.k.a. technique. Organised, efficient and free are key characteristics of my technical approach.
I am not only interested in applying the principles I learned from great masters such as János Starker and Aldo Parisot, but also applying an organised, systematic approach adaptable to many different technical upbringings. My goal is to help students understand and organise their technique, with the knowledge of many possibilities, that they can continue to refine and modify according to the changing demand of the repertoire as well as that of our body over time, and how they can prevent injuries and resolve problems and issues due to tension.
Sustainability also applies to career, which requires adaptability, versatility and mental well-being. I teach in such a way that meets the demands of the professional world, e.g. auditions, competitions, jobs etc.
Every system of training has something to offer, therefore I draw teaching materials from a wide array of repertoire. Besides my expertise in the English (ABRSM, Trinity), Australian (AMEB), Suzuki and American systems, I build the students with strong technical and musical foundation from the beginning with traditional European systems. My students develop a strong sense of body awareness and a deep understanding in the application of technique in music making. In my cello pedagogy course, I train teachers on the development of comprehensive technique with musical goals as the starting point.
who would benefit?
A university faculty member and veteran teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching at universities, conservatories, as well as music schools with young students and adult amateurs, I am happy to work with anyone who wants to get better at playing the cello and know more about music.
I will work with you on refining technique, solving existing issues, and boosting your playing to the professional level, as well as helping you express yourself as the artist in your own right.
Musicality will be our first point of departure (even for technical discussions!), and your professional success will be our goal.
I held a Lecturer in Music position at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in Australia for 5 years, and have given numerous masterclasses in China, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and around the United States. My students won orchestral and teaching positions in Australia, and pursued undergraduate and graduate studies in many countries, such as Germany (Musikhochschulen Köln and Frankfurt), the UK (Royal College of Music) and the USA.
I will work on strengthening the technical foundation, correcting any existing problems, developing your musicianship and understanding. Most importantly, I will share with you my passion for music and show you why and how this is such a fascinating world that is worth exploring!
I have taught students as young as 6 years old. My lessons are fun and engaging, at the same time focusing on progress and achievable goals. I nurture young students so that they love the cello and own their playing. When beneficial, we will also enrol in exams (e.g. ABRSM, Trinity or AMEB) and competitions to motivate their journey.
Easily my favourite kind of students, adult amateurs are passionate, motivated, thoughtful, and hard-working. I have taught adult beginners from 25 to 70 (yes – it’s never too late!). Following my systematic training, my adult students are pleasantly surprised how easy it could be to play the cello, and they start enjoying their own music in no time. Plus, I will give you a healthy dose of exercises that helps the efficient use of body and flexibility in your fingers, arms and back. Are you ready to get your feet wet?
who would benefit?
A university faculty member and veteran teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching at universities, conservatories, as well as music schools with young students and adult amateurs, I am happy to work with anyone who wants to get better at playing the cello and know more about music.
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Look forward to hearing you!
