Piano lessons. Ava offers private piano lessons on the Upper East Side, and group piano lessons on the Upper West Side at Prelude Music Program. To read Ava's biography click here.  

​

​

Teaching approach. Ava started teaching piano in 2008 and has experimented with various methods and approaches in her lessons. When she began her teaching career, she relied on traditional methods/books in her classes. However, over time she 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.

 

Recognizing music as an aural/oral art, Ava emphasizes teaching it accordingly. She observed that many music lessons prioritize decoding the written form of music over developing aural skills, preventing students from becoming independent music thinkers and creators. 

 

To overcome this issue, She began incorporating more creative activities such as improvising and composing in her classes. In her search for novel approaches to piano teaching, she 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. She uses Music Moves for Piano method books in her lessons, where besides learning the piano repertoire, students sing, chant rhythm, move, improvise, compose, arrange, and play by ear.

​

Additionaly Ava focuses on ensuring her students develop a healthy technique without physical comfort. She incorporates concepts from the Taubman approach which gives pianists the tools to play ergonomically.