Meet Ruth, a dedicated Voice and Piano Teacher. She helps students of all ages develop their musical talents. With experience and a personalized approach, Ruth guides them to grow and reach their full potential in voice and piano.
Quick Facts about Ruth
- Teaches Voice and Piano
- Can teach to play and sing at same time
- Specializes in musical theatre and classical music, and am very comfortable teaching from a musical theatre repertoire
- Works with best with children
- Experience with students on the spectrum, having worked as a 1:1 paraeducator in elementary special education classrooms for four years.
- Experience playing the ukulele, have dabbled in timpani and mallet instruments, and am currently teaching myself how to play the guitar.
- Has worked on several student shows as a music director and piano accompanist
- Bachelor of Arts degree in acting and voice from Bennington College.
Learn more about Ruth
General Teaching Style
My teaching style is very personalized to the student as I get to know them. My experiences with one-to-one education have given me a strength in building relationships with individual students and shaping my teaching to their personality and learning style. I prefer to make friends and go slow than truck ahead when someone isn't quite ready.
I have experience with students on the spectrum, having worked as a 1:1 paraeducator in elementary special education classrooms for four years. As I myself am also on the spectrum, I find that I can relate to these students and understand where they are coming from more than some.
Curriculum
I'm follow Off the Wall's standard curriculum in personalizing the lesson to individual students and expand from there!
Most Inspirational Music Moments and Experiences
When I was fourteen, through a series of fortunate events, my mom and I were gifted front row tickets to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the 5th Ave. Theatre. When the choir and the orchestra came in for the grand opening number, I burst into tears, and didn't stop until after the show was over. I have thought about that performance constantly since, and particularly the performance of deaf actor Joshua Castille as Quasimodo, signing his songs as one of the gargoyles--E.J. Cardona--provided his voice. It was one of the first times I was certain that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
The way that music is a woven tapestry of human work and achievement never fails to touch my soul, and I take every chance I get to experience it and create it.
Top 3 Desert Island Albums
Unreal Unearth: Unending - Hozier
Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording
Poses - Rufus Wainwright
Enthusiastic and Empathetic Teacher
I think my strengths when it comes to teaching music are my enthusiasm for music in all forms, my perserverance to make something work by any means, and my patience. Learning music can be incredibly frustrating, especially when what one wants to do and what they can do don't quite match yet, and I have loads of experience reminding myself that finding something to be difficult doesn't mean that it's impossible or that I'm not good at what I do. In those moments, it just means I need to take a step back, remind myself why I love this, and come at it with patience for the work and for myself.
Focus & Goals of the First Lesson
In a first lesson with me, a student can expect to be asked what kind of music they like to listen to, and what they want to be able to play/sing. Then we'll take a look at the basics to figure out what the student can read or play already, and go from there, placing a goal to reach soon, and a goal to reach someday.