Piano with Blythe Q.

My goal in teaching is to foster a love of music and a passion for the arts. I focus on developing my students as musicians in general and on a relaxed technique that will allow for the best possible artistic expression. ***Answers to Common Questions*** I currently teach online lessons from my studio in Plainsboro, NJ. In-person lessons will resume once a vaccine for COVID-19 is available and my husband and I have each been vaccinated. Students will be able to resume in-person lessons upon providing proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated students will continue their lessons online. My name is very unusual, so some students have difficulty pronouncing it. You pronounce the "y" as in "sky" and the "the" as in "breathe". My name has only one syllable. Don't worry if you're still having trouble with it--I'll help you out at our first lesson. ***About Me*** I grew up in southeast Michigan and have been in love with music for as long as I can remember. I started violin lessons when I was three years old and at five I became the youngest student ever accepted into the studio of James Waring, violinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 46 years. Under Mr. Waring, I developed a solid virtuoso technique and worked on chamber music as well as solo and concerto repertoire for the violin. While I was an undergraduate student at Westminster Choir College, I continued my violin study with Dr. Mia Wu. After six years of violin study, I added piano lessons. I studied with Catherine Rollin, an internationally-known teacher and composer. Ms. Rollin's practical approach to technique and musicianship has been extremely influential in my own teaching, and I use her exercises and compositions with my students. I studied a wide range of repertoire with Ms. Rollin but my very favorite pieces were those by Bach, Chopin, and Debussy. I sang in choirs throughout my childhood and began taking voice lessons in high school. I eventually decided to study voice performance at Westminster Choir College, where I completed my Bachelor of Music degree in 2004 and my Master of Music degree in vocal pedagogy and performance in 2008. While a student at Westminster, I performed the soprano roles of Ifigenia in Handel's Oreste, Amy in Mark Adamo's Little Women, and Janthe in Heinrich Marschner's Der Vampyr. I have coached with Daniel Beckwith, J. J. Penna, and Dalton Baldwin, and was privileged to sing in the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir under Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt. With the Westminster Choir, I recorded the album Heaven to Earth and performed in Lakmé and I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, South Carolina. I also performed Handel's Messiah with Sir Neville Marriner and Nicholas McGegan, Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with Sir Michael Tilson Thomas and Lorin Maazel, Berlioz's Requiem with Charles Dutoit, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Lorin Maazel. I have taught in the Princeton area since 2008, maintaining a studio of about thirty voice, piano, and violin students. In addition, I sing as cantor and soprano section leader at Queenship of Mary Catholic Church. I live with my husband, Jerome, and our adorable dog, Pixel, in Plainsboro, NJ. I love to knit and crochet when I'm not teaching or performing. *** Studio Policies *** Tuition 30-minute lessons     $30.00 45-minute lessons     $45.00 60-minute lessons     $60.00 Tuition encompasses lesson time and overhead costs including lesson preparation, office hours, event preparation, and studio recital performance opportunities. Lesson lengths are recommended by the teacher based on student age, level, and availability. Tuition is collected through TakeLessons. Attendance Just as strong attendance is expected in school, strong attendance is expected at music lessons. As a courtesy of the studio, one make-up lesson is offered per student per academic year.  Make-up lessons will be scheduled in late June. The studio will not assume responsibility for the student's absences outside of this allotted absence. In the event of a student cancellation, the teacher is to be contacted via email, text message, or phone call for notification as soon as the student is aware of the cancellation. In anticipation of absence, the student/parent may send the teacher a video recording (i.e. via DropBox). The teacher can provide an electronic critique, utilizing the lesson time to watch, listen, and write a critique and assignment for the week. If the student stays home from school or work on their lesson day due to contagious illness, or was excused early from school due to contagious illness, it is requested they not attend their in-person lesson. The teacher has the authority to excuse a contagiously ill student from their lesson. In these situations, make-ups will be offered upon request outside of the allotted absence. In the event the teacher needs to cancel due to an unforeseen circumstance, she shall notify students and parents of the cancellation as soon as possible through email and/or phone. For every cancellation made by the teacher, two make-up date options will be offered to the student. The student is to select one. If the student cancels or does not attend the scheduled make-up lesson, the lesson will be marked as missed. The teacher reserves the right to offer a credit or electronic critique in lieu of the above-mentioned make-up lesson in appropriate circumstances. Weather Emergencies Lessons will generally not be held in the studio on days when West Windsor-Plainsboro Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather. If roads are cleared and passable by the time of the student’s lesson, they may attend their lesson at their own risk. If there is­­­ a one- or two-hour delay, lessons will still be held according to the lesson schedule.   When West Windsor-Plainsboro Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather, Google Hangouts, Skype, or FaceTime lessons will be conducted from the studio. The teacher will contact the students/parents to arrange the lesson. This will prioritize safety and will also allow students to adhere to the lesson schedule for optimized progress. Laptops, iPads, Tablets, iPhones/Smartphones, etc. may be used when the camera and microphone is adjusted and set in view of the student at the piano. Students are to have their music, theory book, assignment book, and a pencil ready to go. Students are to sign on approximately 5 minutes prior to their lesson time, with all settings appropriately adjusted. They are to call at their lesson time. In lieu of a Google Hangouts, Skype, or FaceTime lesson, students may opt to send the teacher a video recording (i.e. via DropBox). The teacher can provide an electronic critique, utilizing the lesson time to watch, listen, and write a critique and assignment for the week. Practicing Regular practice is essential to musical development. Lessons will include the development of effective practice skills so that students are clear on how to practice. Practice builds muscle strength, coordination, problem-solving skills, focus, self-discipline, a sense of accomplishment, and the enjoyment of being able to make beautiful music through the process. In addition, the student will greatly improve their musical proficiency. The teacher will include written practice instructions in the student’s notebook. These instructions are to be read carefully each week to maximize effective practice time. Students should practice a minimum of 5 days per week and the amount of daily practice should correlate with the length of their lessons. Students taking 30-minute lessons should practice 30 minutes a day, students taking 45-minute lessons should practice 45 minutes a day, and students taking 60-minute lessons should practice one hour each day. Practice time should be divided into 2-3 focused sessions with specific goals set for each practice session. Instruments and Maintenance Piano students must have a well-maintained grand or upright piano which is tuned every six months. It is the responsibility of the student/parent to arrange tunings and repairs for their instrument at the suggestion of the teacher. Once you have registered for lessons, please contact the teacher for information on purchasing or renting a piano, and resources for tuning your piano. Voice lessons will include information on achieving and maintaining good vocal health. In some cases, the teacher may recommend that the student contact a vocal health expert or a physician. It is the responsibility of the student/parent to arrange an appointment at the teacher’s suggestion. Repertoire The teacher will provide all sheet music and method books. It is the responsibility of the student to keep her or his music in good condition and bring all required material to each lesson. Any music or material that is lost must be replaced by the student. Termination Any student/parent wishing to terminate lessons must do so in writing. The termination will go into effect at the start of the following billing cycle and any remaining lessons will be marked as missed. The studio will not assume financial responsibility for the remainder of the billing cycle during which termination occurs. Borrowed music/materials will need to be returned to the teacher at the conclusion of study.