Sarah Stiles believes students are unique individuals, each with their own learning style and inherent potentiality. She has worked with ages 6-70. Her teaching approach provides structured lessons with fun, encouraging interaction, fosters development of fundamental skills, like reading, technique, and scales, and encourages expression and meaning through interpretation, imagination, and creativity.
Music@Menlo's Chamber Music Institute offers participants daily interaction with world-renowned performing artists, multiple performance opportunities, and an engaging series of classes and lectures, complementing the festival's beautiful location and nurturing environment. Students in the Institute's two programs work directly with the festival's esteemed faculty of artists and educators and engage in a wide array of activities.
Application and audition information can be found at www.musicatmenlo.org.
I have been teaching in public and private schools and in private studio for the past 20 years. I worked as the woodwind coach and guest conductor with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra from 2004-2010, am a guest conductor at the Cazadero Music Camp, and have worked at many other music programs and festivals as conductor and educator. I am the Music Director of the Oakland Municipal Band and direct the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble at Aragon High School in San Mateo.
Students learn in different ways. Often an idea or technique needs to be explained in a certain way to make sense to one student, while another may need it demonstrated or described differently. My goal as a horn teacher is to meet each individual student's needs so that I can help them improve their playing. I also understand that students have a variety of interest levels. Most of my students are quite serious and many compete in solo festivals, participate in youth orchestras or audition into all-state honor groups.
I work as a full time tuba player in the Bay Area and enjoy teaching the next generation of musicians in the evenings. I also have taught several older students interested in returning to the craft or who found a new enjoyable hobby. I can help you build on the foundations your school has given you or we can start from scratch!
Besides voice, Dorothy also teaches beginning piano to adults who never had piano as children.
I am currently in my 6th year as the Music Director at Tierra Linda Middle School in San Carlos, CA. Prior to this position, I was the Assistant Band Director at La Canada High/Middle School in Southern California. At my current position I have 32 Trombonists, 28 Euphonium players and 16 Tuba players. Teaching brass is my passion!
When I was a student, I worked with many great French flutists, not only Jean-Pierre Rampal at the Paris Conservatory. I studied with Michel Debost (Principal Flute at the Orchestre de Paris), Alain Marion (P. F. at l'Orchestre national), Gaston Crunelle (P. F. at l'Opera Comique), and Marcel Moyse (P. F. of l'Opera de Paris). I teach the French School of Flute Playing as I learned it from these masters. For exercises, I use the studies by Taffanel and Gaubert.
I have been a piano teacher for more than 30 years. I'm also a jazz vocalist and I teach many styles of music. My students have excelled at the Music Teachers Association of California Certificate of Merit examinations and have benefited from my deep background in music in both teaching and performance. Along with developing classical music interpretations, I weave theory, composition, and jazz styles into the learning process. Rhythmic acuity, literacy, and enjoyment are enhanced with percussion instruments and movement. The fun way! I enjoy helping students