As a pianist I received my RCM degree then went to UBC and took my B Mus as a performance major.  During my teenage years I also learned to play by ear (my mom, a piano teacher, called it ‘fooling around’).  While in my second year of University I got a job playing in a band, joined the Musicians' Union, and I have been fooling around ever since - for a living!  (Anyone interested in my non-teaching career can find out about it on Google or at  probio.htm)
    I started taking a few students in the early 2000’s, beginning with my own kids who took their grade 8 Royal Conservatory piano and theory qualifications with first class honours (thanks, girls!).  My interest in this area has been growing ever since, and from music appreciation to song writing to jazz to RCM piano and theory, learning how to teach what I've learned has been one of the more challenging and rewarding things I've done in my career.

    `I strive to be the kind of teacher I would want to have teaching me.  With pleasure and happy personal interactions at the heart of learning, progress occurs naturally, and good memories are built.
    Here's an illustration of my teaching philosophy.  When I studied music history both with the RCM and at UBC, we started with ancient Greek theatre music and spent the better part of an entire year labouring forward to finally encounter any music one might have actually heard in a concert hall!  The way I like to teach classical music appreciation is to find out what music my student is drawn to, then work forwards and backwards on a timeline to understand what came before and after and what the connections were.  We cover the same material but it's a lot easier to grasp.
    In every area of teaching I aim to find innovative ways to conquer the hurdles that can sometimes make music learning a difficult chore.

    I've seen kids in our lane doing lay-ups and shooting free throws until it was too dark to see the hoop.  I watched a kid for a half-hour skateboarding down an iron railing, falling off every time, and starting over, only to encounter another fall.  Nobody told these kids 'they had to practice' -  they were happily and patiently pursuing a physical discipline that they were drawn to.  THERE! a perfect summary of what piano practicing can be.
    Some adults, coming for their first session, stiffen up unconsciously when sitting down in front of a piano.  This learned insecurity is truly unfortunate! as pursuing music should be happy work.
    I recognize the time demands we all live with, and a ‘prime directive’ for me is to gauge the pace and style of motivation to suit each individual.
    All music teachers are aware of their capacity to be a positive influence beyond the area of music.  Having experienced many levels and types of teaching, from effective to destructive! - I'm highly attuned to the non-musical benefits which teacher-student interaction can achieve, and I'm thrilled each time some of these benefits are related to me by students or their families.

What seems to have worked the best is for the student and myself to establish specific manageable goals which form a clear progression towards the outcome each is looking for.  In the case of RCM work, of course, the materials and plan for progress are established, but when we are delving into the worlds of pop and jazz playing, or songwriting, I make up a program for each student based on their current interests, strengths, and needs.  Obviously I differentiate strongly in approach between people who have professional aspirations and those who are involved for pleasure, academic qualification, or self-improvement.  When we need to make a lot of progress quickly I draw from my own experience and try to give the essential tools up front, leaving background skills for later.  When we are less concerned with fast results, I try to create a body of work that will be a positive memory and a boost to whatever else the student may turn their attention to in the future.

The best outcome seems to be generated from meeting once a week, either for 1 or 2 hours depending on the complexity of what we are studying.  I'm intrigued with the possibility of someone having two half-lessons per week: one to generate objectives and the other as a followup and reinforcement - but I have not had that opportunity yet.  Most people work from September to May-June parallelling the school year - and the RCM exam dates if that's the area of interest.  Meetings take place in my home studio, where there's a beautiful Yamaha C5 grand piano, numerous other instruments (my banjo!), lots of computers, video, and a full digital studio.  My current rate is $50 per hour (no G.S.T. on lessons) payable by the week.