I currently teach about 40 students
in a beautiful home studio. I began piano lessons
myself at age six and still enjoy taking occasional
lessons over forty years later!
I have been a piano teacher since 1993. I was a
traditional piano teacher for almost 10 years, that
is, one who uses music reading as a way of teaching
someone to play the piano. Over two years ago I
began to teach an Australian-developed piano program
called SIMPLY MUSIC, which I believe to be a breakthrough
in music education! In all my years of teaching,
I have never seen a program as awesome and inspiring
as this! SIMPLY MUSIC offers the most broad-based
music education of any piano program I know. The
quantity and quality of songs students can learn
in a short time far surpasses that of traditional
lessons.
SIMPLY MUSIC is a 'playing-based' program. What
this means is that the reading process is delayed
until a student can play between forty to fifty
songs from memory in a wide variety of styles. This
usually takes from twelve to eighteen months. The
repertoire includes blues, classical, pop, jazz
and accompaniment styles. The songs are taught directly
onto the keys in a way that is very natural and
easy to understand.
Because of this hands-on approach, students are
able to play a wide variety of advanced sounding
music in a relatively short period of time. Some
students are able to play one or two songs after
only one lesson! Furthermore, the songs in the SIMPLY
MUSIC program are of a much higher quality than
those found in beginning method books! The harmonies
and rhythms are more sophisticated and complex,
which makes playing these songs so much more satisfying
than playing typical beginner's songs. Yet the music
progresses so naturally that learning becomes fun
and easy! Students are not encumbered by having
to learn notes, rhythm, dynamics, fingering and
phrasing at the same time as they are learning what
to play! We also do a lot of singing as many of
the songs in the SIMPLY MUSIC program have words,
and singing helps to train the ear.
After building a repertoire of forty to fifty songs,
these songs become the foundation for the more formal
aspects of music education, such as reading and
writing music. You can learn more about the SIMPLY
MUSIC program and philosophy at the website: www.simplymusic.net
Anyone who is interested in the SIMPLY MUSIC program
can come to my piano studio for a free 30-minute
informational session. This way, you can see the
materials, listen to the music and have a much better
understand of how this program works.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major
in Music from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973
and took many graduate courses at Temple University.
I have studied piano with concert artist Sheila
Paige, who is an expert in teaching the proper body
mechanics of playing piano. I continuously participate
in educational activities through the Music Teachers
National Association (MTNA).
I received national certification through the MTNA
in 1999 and was president of my local chapter for
four years. Some of my students participate in non-competitive
performance activities through this organization.
I also hold informal performance classes during
the year to give students the opportunity to play
for each other in a relaxes environment. This helps
prepare them for the large family recital in June,
which will have about one hundred family members
and friends in the audience.
Piano is the joy of my life. I feel fortunate to
be able to earn a living teaching piano and being
able to pass on the gift of music to my students.
Cheryl Goresko, NCTM (Nationally Certified Teacher
of Music)
Accredited Simply Music Teacher
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