Welcome to my studio! Soon to be located in Kitchener-Waterloo. I believe students learn best in a warm, supportive, and creative environment where their potential and unique interests are prioritized. I also believe that playing music is our birthright! That could mean learning the works of the great masters, wanting to sing your favourite show tunes or pop songs while playing along, or learning how all the different elements of music such as harmony, rhythm, and melody come together to more deeply understand what music is. We all have the right to connect with music in our own way. I also believe we all have our own unique learning styles, which I am more than happy to work with! There is no wrong way to learn.
Once you and I together concretely state your, or your child’s goals for lessons, I can then use a number of tools and techniques, depending on age (I work with children 6 years of age and up), previous musical experience, and the pre-discussed goals. These techniques range from the more physical jumping-clapping-full body rhythm games, creative visualizations on expressing musical phrases, flash cards and fun stickers for working hard, or delving into the fascinating history of music and the always wonderful question “why?”!
I have a special interest in working with older teen and adult learners. I understand that both approach and goals can be vastly different for you than with younger students. Perhaps a bad experience in your youth led you to leave lessons despite your love of music. Perhaps anxiety around being “good enough” or the idea of playing in front of others stopped you from continuing. During my career as a registered clinical counsellor, I have learned many skills that may help you process and move through these stuck feelings. These skills include grounding, relaxation, and mindfulness. I am more than happy to work with you through these in combination with your musical goals as well. Or perhaps as an older learner, you simply now have the time to delve into music! In either case, I believe a calm, supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere is one of the foundations from which great learning and experiences emerge.
During my Bachelor of Music at the University of Victoria, I majored in music history and literature as well as played the harpsichord. If you have a keen interest and enjoyment of early keyboard music, or have a desire to learn more about music history, I would be happy to work on these goals with you. I also have experience with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) curricula and have the Certificate in Elementary Piano Pedagogy. I have prepared students towards elementary level RCM examinations if that is your goal, but is not a necessary one for us to work together. I am also happy to create occasions for students to share their music together! That can be through twice-yearly recitals, or more regular “masterclasses” where students get to share the pieces they are working on in a thoughtful, helpful environment, and exchange ideas and encouragement with each other. Of course no one is expected to do anything they do not wish to do, but students are often surprised at how wonderful it feels to share their playing with others. My goal is to have students leave lessons feeling excited about the music they are studying, confident in the skills they are building, and proud of the work they are doing.
If you have any questions, please contact me at coulter.tracey@gmail.com
Please note: due to the ongoing Covid concerns, I also offer Zoom lessons. I also require masks for in-person lessons.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato