Piccolo with Jenny P.

I have over 20 years’ experience teaching flute and piccolo and currently teach at two local colleges. I enjoy teaching at all levels, from beginner through advanced. At the Beginner level, I get to introduce students to the instrument. This is one of my favorite parts because every new piece of information brings such excitement and joy to the students. They get to learn familiar songs as well as some fun new ones. I also find it crucial that students at this stage get a good foundation in posture, hand position, and tone production, as this will set students up with healthy habits that will carry forward as they play more difficult music. I have been training in the Alexander Technique for many years and I incorporate this into my lessons. At the Intermediate level, the music gets more challenging but also more fun as I introduce new concepts of musicality, phrasing, vibrato, double tonguing, etc. No two students are alike in their strengths and how they learn, so I have multiple approaches to each topic. I help students work toward their goals, whether that is moving up in chair placement in their band programs, achieving high scores at solo and ensemble, earning spots in honor bands, or advancing in competitions. At this level, I also love helping students learn the piccolo. This small but mighty instrument can sometimes be a challenge as students learn how to make the small adjustments needed to really make the instrument sing and I enjoy helping guide them to be able to really enjoy it. At the Advanced/Collegiate level, we continue to dive further into the music and I help students really find their “voice” or what story they want to tell with the music. I help them refine their tone and technique to give them even more tools and techniques to shape the music the way they want to. At this level I typically help students prepare for college auditions, recitals, or competitions. I received a Bachelors of Music degree in Instrumental Performance from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Masters of Music degree in Instrumental Performance from the Ohio State University. My teachers include Maralyn Prestia, Sylvia Greenfield, and Kathryn Borst Jones. I studied piccolo with Julie Thornton, and studied Alexander Technique with James Brody, William Conable, and Dale Beaver. I am currently accepting new students online and in my studio in Mt Vernon, OH. Please message me with any questions and I will respond quickly.