Kathryn - Teacher #3026

Instruments:
- Piano
- Violin

Services:
- Ear Training
- RCM
- RCM - Advanced Harmony
- RCM - Advanced Rudiments
- RCM - Analysis
- RCM - Basic Harmony
- RCM - Basic Rudiments
- RCM - Counterpoint
- RCM - History
- RCM - Intermediate Harmony
- RCM - Intermediate Rudiments

Languages:
- English
- French
- Mandarin

Teaching Philosophy

Music comes in all shapes and forms. It is within us, in our hearts, the second we are born with every beat of our heart; it is also surrounding us, with every birdsong and rustling of leaves. Music can be interpreted in millions of ways, and I believe that humans need music to live. As an experienced teacher, I will allow you to shape our lessons according to your learning style as every single individual learns and interprets artistic forms differently. It is my belief that there is no such thing as learning a song; there is only using the music that we were born with to play it out. Music is not meant to be stressful - it is meant to bring out the best in a student by allowing them to perform gallantly and from their heart. I highly encourage a student's self-interpretation of music from which we will learn and grow as both teacher and student.

Musical Education

I have my RCM ARCT diploma in both violin and piano; I have also completed all the RCM theory levels.

I have been studying the piano since I was 4 years old and the violin since I was 7 years old. For the piano, I studied with Professor Li Xiao and I studied with Lawrie Hill on the violin at the Vancouver Academy of Music.

My piano teacher was professionally trained in China and has had many exceptional students over the years. He was a professor at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and studied under Professor Xu Xinpu , Professor Yuan Biao, Professor Liu Shanger, Professor Yu Jiaying and Professor Jin Shi.

My violin teacher is a highly-regarded and respected violinist in Canada, having studied with Gwen Thompson, Tom Rolston, Ranald Shean, and Yasuko Eastman. She was a member of the CBC Radio Orchestra and has toured many international shows.

I have competed in numerous music competitions in Vancouver such as the Richmond Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival, and the British Columbia Conservatory of Music. While I was under my first violin teacher Lorraine Grescoe, I led the Fraser River Fiddlers for many years and performed all over the Lower Mainland. I was the concertmaster at the Richmond Delta Youth Orchesetra (RDYO). I was also a member of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra (VAMSO), where I was Assistant Concertmaster and Associate Principal 2nd Violinist.

Awards and Distinctions

- Medal for the highest exam mark in an RCM Exam, receiving Honours with Distinction
- British Columbia Conservatory of Music (BCCM) trophy for Canadian Composers (piano)
- 1st-place awards in the BCCM for piano and violin
- 1st-place awards in the Richmond Music Festival (RMF) for piano
- 1st-place awards in the Kiwanis Music Festival (KMF) for violin
- ARCT Diploma in both piano and violin

Special Skills and Training

As a child, I would spend hours playing with cassette tapes and old CDs. Many of those were orchestral music or classical piano music. Immediately, I was entranced by how beautiful music by just one instrument or a whole string of instruments could sound. After picking up both the piano and violin, I spent most of my time practicing both instruments. On the piano, I loved going to piano recitals as it allowed me to express myself onstage to many people. I also enjoyed competing; not because of the potential awards, but because I knew that in every competition I would learn something. I could listen and learn from other students, and I could also learn from professional adjudicators. The same goes for violin - I did violin gigs for the Maritime Festival at a young age and this was something I enjoyed a lot as I could provide a lively atmosphere for people walking around. I became a piano tutor for younger kids and helped them learn new ways to practice. I then became a freelance piano instructor for younger children and also started teaching the violin as well. I participated in a non-profit organization at my high school, where we would accept young students from elementary schools in the neighbourhood and teach them violin. I was an instructor to groups of kids, so I quite enjoyed having to adapt to multiple learning methods and bring each of them together.

Rates

30 Minutes: $39.00
45 Minutes: $49.00
60 Minutes: $59.00

There is a one-time registration fee of 25 $ charged with the first lessons. All Taxes are included in prices, if applicable

NOTE: Your Credit card will be charged ONLY when the first lesson is set up and confirmed with the teacher

Policies


1. Cancellation Policy

Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.

2. Cessation (quitting) Policy

A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.

3. Illness Policy

Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.

BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.

No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.

4. Rescheduling Policy

Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.

Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy

Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.

It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.

5. Evaluation Period

There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).