An Interview with Caitlin

Yes, you will need an instrument at home to practice. It is important to develop a regular practice routine, even for just a short time each day while first starting out. Practicing maximises the impact of our lessons, and helps to solidify our new skills. I would be more than happy to help direct you in purchasing or renting your first instrument.

I try to be versatile in my teaching and love to adapt to each students' needs. I teach through demonstrations and encouragement. I love music theory and practical music technique; these are elements always found in my lessons. I stress strong note reading skills in addition to teaching by rote.

I am classically trained in both flute and piano, but I also encourage my students to suggest pieces or styles that appeal to them. Learning how to play a piece you already know and love motivates our growth as musicians.

I have taught piano students as young as 3.5 years old and flute to students as young as six. Every child is different and I am more than willing to assess based on an individual basis if private music lessons is the best direction for your child. Music is a universal language and you are never too young (or old!!) to start learning.

I follow the guidelines and curriculum of the Royal Conservatory of Music for both my flute and piano students. I feel the RCM provides a well-rounded curriculum that involves theory, technique, sight reading/playing and performance. In preparation for the RCM curriculum, my students follow various method books such as Piano Adventures, Wunderkeys and Piano Safari for piano and Flute 101, Trevor Wye's Beginner Books for Flute, Blocki Flute Method and Funky Flute for my flute students.

I tell my students that they should practice every day that they brush their teeth! Just like this mundane routine, developing a practice routine for each day is important. Practice times will vary from student to student and level to level, but generally more practice times throughout the week is better than trying to "cram" a week's worth of practice into the night before a lesson. Remember, we are learning a new skill. It is just as important to develop the muscle memory ascociated with practice as well as the cognitive understanding that goes along with learning your instrument. Both cannot be achieved without repetition and time in between for your body and mind to rest (and to retain information).

Yes, I have a studio policy. Please feel free to contact me for an updated copy of my policy letter. This letter outlines all my lesson prices and studio guidelines. One policy I stand by is my 24 hour cancellation policy. If a lesson needs to be cancelled or rescheduled, please do so before the 24 hour mark. This gives me time to better plan and organize my schedule.

Payments for the month of lessons are due on or before the first lesson of that month. We can make arrangements if you wish to pay for multiple months' worth of lessons at a time.

I strongly believe parental involvement in home practice is crucial for success. Similar to learning the instrument, students will need help from parents in learning to develop a good routine at home.

I hold two studio recitals a year; a Winter/Holiday recital in December and a Spring recital in June. I also encourage my students to work toward and participate in RCM examinations and the Kiwanis Music Festival.