Piano with Marissa G.

I received a Bachelors of Music and Business Administration at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. I accompanied my music degree with courses also in Finance, Economics, Business Law, Accounting, and Statistics. I was a scholarship student of internationally renowned pianist Michael Rickman(also a friend of her latest piano teacher). I was also a William E. Duckwitz Talent Scholar and a Stetson Piano Scholar. As a piano soloist, I have performed on and off the Stetson campus and for special events in Central Florida, as well as in the masterclass of the late distinguished concert pianist Richard Cass. My repertoire includes works by Schumann, Schubert, Shostakovich, Debussy, Beethoven, Bach, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Chopin. As a vocalist, my career involved taking lessons starting at the age of 6 and participating in choirs, theatre productions, and recitals. I was a member of the Stetson Chorale, who was invited to perform at the March 2010 Southern Division American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) convention in Memphis, Tennessee. As a collaborative artist, I have appeared in recitals with vocalists and diverse instrumentalists, and served as accompanist for Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church in Port Orange, Florida for 2 years. My musicality was acknowledged at the young age of 5 when I began taking piano lessons. It was not until I began playing for school plays, churches, and my teacher's student recitals that I realized I loved everything about music and really wanted to further my musical studies. At the age of 14, I was playing for my middle school's production of "Oklahoma". In high school, I accompanied the production "Alice in Wonderland". I have had multiple teachers and experienced a variety of teaching styles. As a student of Mrs. Nancy Shackelford during my teen years, I received three consecutive years of superior ratings from the National Guild of Piano Teachers/American College of Musicians. At 16, I was hired by Steinway & Sons to perform holiday music at the Millenia Mall in Orlando, Fl., and became a pianist at the Marriott Downtown. I have also competed in various competitions and scored highly because of my musicality. I have been vocally trained from the ages of 6-20. I began taking private vocal lessons at age 6, and performed in many recitals. My experience ranges from broadway to classical. At Stetson University, I was a singer in the highly distinguished Stetson Chorale and Choral Union. I studied and memorized vocal work including masses from Beethoven and Mozart's "Requiem". As a teacher, I have experience with ages 5-74. I always make my lessons interesting by throwing in surprises and working on music the student likes as well. I am able to get along with ALL personalities, and I cater the lesson to each student. I am here for the student for any advice, questions, concerns, no matter what their level of seriousness is. I will be able to benefit the student by: 1. Developing a consistent, steady plan of action each lesson 2. Effectively addressing any student obstacles 3. Provide a comfortable, yet fun and exciting learning atmosphere for the student 4. Tailor each lesson to that student's needs 5. Provide ongoing support for future development *** Lesson Details *** The student can expect to have a serious, yet fun(and challenging) learning experience. Music is not always meant to be serious, it can also be exciting, challenging, and fun. For piano beginners, I prefer to use Alfred's curriculum that is grouped into Performance, Lesson, and Music Theory collections. For more intermediate to advanced levels, I use the same but I like to throw in music from prominent composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, for a challenge, and to stimulate their minds. I expect the student to practice at least 30 minutes a day, twice a week for beginners, and I increase the time, of course for more experienced players. For intermediate to advanced students, I always incorporate finger exercises, scales, chords, arpeggios, etc. because those are the building blocks of music and have been proven to increase talent and skill. Beginner students who are not able to read music should expect to have more written work than actually playing until that skill develops on its own. I always encourage my students to never give up and keep practicing because skill will come with time. I am all about taking things slow and making sure the student is comfortable. One last thing I would like to mention about my piano teaching is that I use popular memorization and learning techniques that also enhance the way the student learns the music. After 3 months, depending on the level of the student, they will have learned either to be able to read music proficiently, learn fingerings, play something challenging they have not before, or begin memorizing music. After 6 months, beginner students should be able to read notes,sing while playing, count rhythms, and be more comfortable playing in general. Intermediate to advanced students will gradually build their repertoire with more challenging music, feel and interpret music accordingly, and increase finger strength and stamina with exercises. Each student will develop his/her own "touch" as well as technique. Singers/vocalists can expect to practice their own exercises as well. The level of music I give them will continue to increase as they get older or as their voice develops. Proper breathing, posture, and vocal technique is very important to me. Beginner singers can look forward to singing modern music, theatre, or less demanding songs. Once they improve, they can expect to sing more demanding songs including parts of an opera, or Italian(arias) art songs. Overall, students will achieve their goals by learning to memorize music, practicing consistently and efficiently, and becoming more musically literate. As far as the learning environment, it will be completely comfortable, creative, interesting, and open. Warm ups and exercises will comprise 20-30% of each lesson. I am open to all different levels and ages. I encourage students to make mistakes, because that is one way to learn. I currently have 4 years of teaching experience, and I am a recent college graduate. I am looking forward to enriching people's lives with the joy of music! *** Studio Equipment *** At the moment, the student must be able to provide their home and a piano. I will travel to their home for convenience. All students should posses a metronome. If not, I can provide assistance so they can easily find one. More advanced levels will need to have their own music dictionary for personal use. I can provide these during lessons, but it is the student's responsibility to have them readily available for home use. I will also assist in providing necessary books and materials for the student, but that will be their financial responsibility. *** Specialties *** I ensure my students have proper technique and training. This includes encouraging the practice of either Czerny or Hanon exercises as well as scales, arpeggios, chords, etc. to complement their daily practice regimen. For singers, vocal warm-ups and exercises are definitely included. I specialize in a wide range of genres including but not limited to Classical, Contemporary, R & B, and Pop.