Owen Piano Studio, Inc.

Rosann Owen 801-589-8058 rosannowen@gmail.com Bachelor of Music Piano Pedagogy Weber State University

Music Philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy

 “Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” This quote by the philosopher Plato reminds us how deep music, and the education of music can impact our world.  Music impacts everyone. Albert Einstein once said; “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” Music can make us feel many different emotions.  It can make us feel happy, angry, carefree, sad, proud, bold, timid, peaceful, sleepy, hyper, mysterious, playful, elegant, noble, excited, calm, spontaneous, romantic, joyful, bashful and creative. It is important that we teach others how to create music. By teaching them music we can share those emotions with them and in turn they can share those emotions with the world.

While creating music we can experience mental, physically, emotional, and spiritual development.  It is exciting to see this development in a piano student’s life. Children who take piano are creating a talent and a hobby that they can use throughout their life time. They can gain knowledge of intense coordination while creating beautiful music at the same time.

A solid foundation must be set. Students need to identify with rhythm, pitch, dynamics, musical phrasing and theory. It is important that piano students be taught ear training and sight reading. These two educations combined will insure that a student can play almost anything they want.

Music must be fun. It is known that young children learn better through songs and games. Piano teachers should incorporate these into their lesson plans to ensure learning. It is important for both the teacher and the student to have a lot of controlled energy during piano lessons. If the student is not as enthusiastic about piano lessons, hopefully the instructor’s passion for music will be passed along to the student.

A piano teacher also must be attentive at all times. They need understand the student’s learning style. Students learn so many different ways; we must cater to everyone. Teaching our students how to perform with confidence should be included in the lesson as well. A great performance is an awesome way to increase a student’s self esteem. Teachers must compliment their students in a variety of ways and words; this helps the compliments seem more sincere.

Teaching students to enjoy and create music is the ultimate goal. It is important that we teach them so that they can have the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development that they need to progress in life. Music can reach us on so many levels… it is so inspiring. It needs to be a way to relax and let yourself see the things which are deep within your soul. In conclusion a description of music by Joseph Addison: “Music, the greatest good that mortals know, and all of heaven we have below”.