I was raised in a musical family. My father is a music educator and one of the pioneers of Orff Music Classes for youth in Iran. From early stages, my appreciation and understanding of music was established through listening to music on a regular basis, as well as collaborating and creating with peers. 

 

I started teaching piano in 2008 and have experimented with various methods and approaches in my lessons. When I began my teaching career, I relied on traditional methods/books in my classes. However, over time I realized there are significant pitfalls in the traditional way of teaching piano, most notably lacking strategy to provide connection to music on a deep level.

 

Since music is an aural/oral art, it should be taught like one. Sadly, the aural/oral part of music is not emphasized in most music lessons today, and instead students are focused on merely decoding the written form of music. This prevents them from becoming independent music thinkers and creators. 

 

To overcome this issue, I began incorporating more creative activities such as improvising and composing in my classes. In my search for novel approaches to piano teaching, I came across “Music Moves for Piano”, which is based on Edwin E. Gordon's theories that music is learned through audiation, following similar steps as learning a language. I use Music Moves for Piano method books in my lessons, where besides learning the piano repertoire, students sing, chant rhythm, move, improvise, compose, arrange, and play by ear.

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Another critical aspect of learning an instrument is being able to play with a healthy technique without any physical discomfort. I incorporate concepts from the Taubman approach which gives pianists the tools to play ergonomically.

 

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced pianist I look forward to working with you and being a part of your musical exploration and journey.