One sentence summary: The teacher's role is to give students the technical, intellectual, and artistic tools to become thoughtful, independent musicians.

Overview: The teacher’s aim is to help students understand what it means to become musicians and artists, cultivate a lifelong enjoyment through music, and prepare them for further opportunities within and beyond the professional world of classical music. Becoming a musician and artist requires technical proficiency, the ability to hear musically, and an understanding of music theory. Musicians should also be artists by using creativity to make music in a meaningful and tasteful way. 

Technical proficiency (of harp): When a student is a beginner, they first learn one technical foundation based on the basic motions of the fingers, hands, wrists, and arms. This consistency of playing provides the foundation needed to explore more advanced and varied techniques. Technique is not to be overthought. Through consistent and disciplined practice, technique becomes natural rather than consciously controlled. Etudes then become musical exercises for developing specific technical skills encountered frequently throughout the repertoire. The more repertoire the student learns at a high level, the more technical variety and fluency they achieve.

Once a student has the basic technical proficiencies, there should be a shift in mentality, and that is “there is no one way of playing.” Technique should be flexible and guided by the sound and musical structure the student wants to create.

There are some technical aspects that require constant upkeep and attention. It is beneficial to recognize and know these so that the student can grow more independently: balance and the way one sits, the use of weight, relaxing unnecessary muscles, efficient body use, reliance on larger muscle groups, lengthening rather than shortening, and eventually new technical principles that students discover for themselves.

Playing the harp should feel good. Healthy technique cannot be judged by appearance alone. Two students may look nearly identical while experiencing very different levels of physical comfort and efficiency. Teaching the student to recognize harmful discomfort that leads to injury is important not only for their musical development, but also for maintaining their overall health.

Hearing musically: Language and music are closely related forms of describing human thoughts and emotions. The benefit of music is that it is often great at depicting the thoughts and emotions that are very difficult or impossible otherwise to express. I call “hearing musically” the ability to hear and perform music with meaning, rather than notes in sequence, expressing human thoughts and emotions. “Hearing musically” develops by hearing music internally, and reproducing those imagined sounds as accurately as possible. Students should learn to perceive independent musical lines simultaneously, allowing harmony to emerge naturally rather than hearing isolated chords in succession. This ability extends beyond solo performance. Learning how to listen, react, lead, and blend with other musicians develops a deeper understanding of musical context and individual roles.

Music Theory training: The student will learn the foundational concepts to be able to read and interpret scores. Theory instruction should be geared to each student's interests, strengths and weaknesses, personality, and goals. Further theory instruction explores the relationship between how the brain processes music and how we experience it aurally, along with ear training and relevant concepts.

Enjoying music: Enjoying music is perhaps the most important part of musical study, otherwise what is the point? Steady and consistent progress, the search for one’s own unique and personal musical voice, and using creativity in music making are great ways of creating long-term motivation and a rewarding and enjoyable musical education. It is the responsibility of the teacher to create a space where enjoyment is possible and encouraged. Allowing students to forge their own paths within practical boundaries is the best way for a student to develop and learn music in an enjoyable and positive fashion. 

Practicalities: Students interested in pursuing further musical opportunities benefit greatly from mentorship that prepares them for the practical realities of the profession. Pursuing music as a hobby is also totally valid, it just depends on the student’s goals! There are different practical skills that work best for certain settings of music making. In an orchestral setting, for example, basic professional habits and orchestral etiquette can be taught beforehand. This preparation improves both the quality of students' first experiences and the efficiency of their learning. The same can be said for any form of music making, like chamber music, solo concerts, concerto performances, community outreach recitals, performance lectures, and more. Knowing what to expect before entering these situations leads not only to better performance, but a less stressful environment where one can continue to learn.

The role of the teacher: The teacher's role is to share accumulated knowledge and guide each student while fostering an environment where students are allowed to ask any questions and have curiosity instead of fear. The teacher must craft individualized training for each student, based on their strengths, weaknesses, and personality. The teacher should inspire interest in what they are teaching, and lead students to become self-motivated and explore concepts themselves. The greatest success a teacher can have is to bestow upon a student the knowledge, ability, and curiosity to become their own teacher.

Conclusion: Ultimately, my goal is not simply to teach students how to play the harp, but to help them become independent musicians who listen carefully, think critically, and continue growing long after formal lessons have ended. If a student leaves my studio with curiosity, confidence, and independence, then I have succeeded.