Justin Bartlett
Contact: justin@oclef.com
Teaching Philosophy
Why I teach: music is the excuse, people are the reason
Watching children take delight in music is my favorite part of teaching. Seeing their eyes light up after hearing a new piece ("oh wow, sounds fun!") Adding, unprompted, their own playful touches to the music. Arriving with a wishlist of projects, full of curiosity and ambition. These are my happiest moments as a teacher.
Piano lessons convey so much more than skill acquisition. They are a wonderful way to develop a child’s curiosity, creativity, and confidence. So, music is just our excuse to build meaningful connections with students and share our general love of learning.
Piano lessons convey so much more than skill acquisition. They are a wonderful way to develop a child’s curiosity, creativity, and confidence. So, music is just our excuse to build meaningful connections with students and share our general love of learning.
How I teach: music as a second language
We acquire our native language intuitively before learning to read. This is also true for music. With beginners, I treat playing and reading as two separate activities which merge over time. Children can have conversations before reading novels, and play rewarding music by ear before opening a score.
Learning this way is more natural and fun — In my experience, music lessons work best when fun and organized, lighthearted and serious, not just one or the other. Children should feel comfortable being themselves and play music they enjoy from the first lesson. Then, curiosity and focus emerge naturally.
Still curious?
If you want to know more about my teaching approach and philosophy, you can find some longer articles here:
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Learning Journal
