Faith Slaker Music (formerly PianoForte Studios) has been in operation, bringing personal, nurturing, and enthusiastic music instruction to children since 2000 in Texas, Wyoming, Colorado and Illinois.
My Teaching Philosophy
Children can become involved in the rewards of music at an early age, and in the process of being able to understand and experience it, they develop several invaluable traits. Those traits – patience, focus and enthusiasm – are qualities that are beneficial to everyone in every discipline.
Piano study cultivates all three of these traits in such a way that they can be applied to every other aspect of life. Since music is such an intrinsic part of human nature, it can always be experienced, understood, and enjoyed.
Suzuki piano study is especially useful in developing these traits in the very young child. I love the Suzuki method because we emphasize parental involvement, closeness, and nurturing; because we are able to apply this nurturing philosophy in areas other than music; because small steps are great achievements; and because students develop balance, confidence, discipline, respect, great listening skills, and a better memory.
Henry David Thoreau said, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” I think that to experience music at an early age, to be a part of it, and even to teach it, one cannot help but develop enthusiasm. I teach to share these skills because I think to have them, and to practice them, is to have purpose, and these are all essential to the discipline of happiness.
Education
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 3, July 2010. Teacher - Doris Koppelman.
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 2, July 2008. Teacher - Caroline Fraser.
Suzuki Piano Training, Book 1, July 2007. Teacher - Caroline Fraser.
Nationally Certified by Music Teachers National Association, May 2006.
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas: M.M., Piano Performance and Pedagogy with concentration in
Music Therapy, May 2004. Studied under Carol Leone.
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois: B.M., Piano Performance, May 2001; B.M. Piano Pedagogy with Honors,
December 2000. Studied under Gustavo Romero, Kenneth Drake, Christos Tsitsaros, Reid Alexander and
Andrew Degrado.
International Experience studying art history and language in Granada, Spain, Summer 2000.
Teaching Experience
Private Piano Studio, FaithSlaker Music, Chicago, Illinois. Private traditional and Suzuki lessons for children and adults.
Head of Suzuki Piano Department at Sherwood Conservatory, Chicago, Illinois. Teaching private traditional piano and Suzuki Private Piano Lessons as well as Suzuki Group Lessons since September 2007.
Current Part Time position at the Suzuki-Orff School, Chicago, Illinois. Teaching private and group Suzuki Piano lessons since August 2007.
Private Piano Studio, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Participation in Federation of Music Clubs. 2006-2007
Private Piano Studio, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 2004-2006
Graduate Piano Faculty, Southern Methodist University. 2002-2004
College Class Piano Teacher, Southern Methodist University. 2002-2004
Private Piano Studio. 1998 - 2002
Substitute Teacher, Laramie County District #1. 2001
Piano Faculty Lab Program, University of Illinois: 2000 – 2001.
Sunday School Teacher, Glenview Community Church, Glenview, Illinois. 1994 – 1995.
ADJUDICATION EXPERIENCE
Area Achievement Day Judge, Cheyenne, Wyoming, April 2005.
Guild Preparation Judge, Cheyenne, Wyoming, April 2006.
Lecture and Performance Experience
Illinois:
Solo Piano and Chamber Music Concert given at Sherwood Conservatory, November 2009.
Chamber Music Concert given at Northwestern University, June, 2004.
Solo Piano Concert given in Evanston, Illinois, March 2000 and University of Illinois, April 2000.
Solo Piano Concert given at University of Illinois, October 1999.
Various chamber music and collaborative concerts.
Accompaniment experience with voice, violin, cello, viola, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, flute and french horn.
Wyoming:
Chamber Music Concert performed in at LCCC, April 18, 2005.
Chamber Music Concert performed in "Music at the Mansion" (Historic Governors' Mansion Foundation), April 1, 2005.
Chamber Music Concert performed in at LCCC, November 2004,
Keyboardist for Connie Francis Concert, Cheyenne, WY, October 2004.
Texas:
Solo Lecture Concert given at Southern Methodist University on the development of Beethoven’s musical forms and genres in relation to his piano works. April, 2004.
Various chamber music and collaborative concerts.
My Background
A Musician’s and Teacher’s Blog.