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Learn More About Jeanne's Experience:

elementary (k-6th) Although I'm not a certified teacher, I've been teaching my own children at home for the past four years through a home cyber-charter school. This has given me direct experience in teaching my children everything from basic phonics through ancient Chinese history. I've obtained experience teaching Language Arts, Literature, Math, Science, History, Art, and Music. What I have discovered, through trial and error, is that even though a child may not initially "take to" a certain subject, there are always alternative means to generate interest. Some useful tools are Web-links to historic sites and persons, hands-on scientific experiments and observations, math manipulatives and real-life applications, and many more. Each child learns differently; the trick is finding the key to unlock each child's curiosity and thirst for knowledge! general music The topic "general music" is HUGE! How can I convey to you a breadth of knowledge in this field? I suppose the best way is simply to say that I've been playing piano and singing since I was a child. I've been playing piano for 38 years, and singing for at least that long. I have a deep, abiding love of classical music, both instrumental and vocal. In fact, I loved music so much that I studied it for three years at West Chester University. During that time I took courses in music theory, sight reading and ear training, music history, vocal diction, and choral conducting. In addition to my primary instruments, voice and piano, I was also required to take a semester each of violin, clarinet, trumpet, and percussion to make me a more well-rounded musician. I've put my knowledge to use while home cyber-schooling my two children for the past four years. To top it all off, I spent three-quarters of the 2007-2008 school year teaching music in a private Christian school to students in grades pre-K through 8th. I believe that the cumulative effect of my years of experience is that I am well-qualified to teach in almost any area of music. phonics Teaching phonics to young children is absolutely essential to making them effective readers later in life! I've had first-hand experience in this area over the past four years while home cyber-schooling my own children. The cyber-school that they "attend" uses the K12 Curriculum. It is a system that takes students step-by-step through the basic sounds each letter makes, then introduces digraphs and trigraphs. Later it introduces all of the alternative sound that letters and combinations of letters can make. What it has taught me is that any child can learn to read through phonics with enough time and patience. I have a lot of patience, and am willing to take the time to do it right! piano I've been playing the piano for 38 years! I took my first piano lesson at age seven, and have been playing ever since. I actively studied piano from second grade through high school, then was accepted as a piano major at West Chester University. I spent three years there, studying piano under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Pennington. I've not studied since, but have never stopped playing. In fact, I'm the primary pianist/keyboardist at my church; a position I've held for the past six years. I'm most comfortable in the classical genre, but my church experience has exposed me to contemporary styles requiring the ability to improvise and play from chord charts. In the past I've attempted to give a few private lessons while holding down full-time employment; that didn't work out very well. Now that I'm a home-schooling Mom, I have the time to give instruction and assistance to anyone who is willing to put in the time needed to master their instrument. sight singing I've been playing piano since age seven, and singing as long as I can remember. I began studying voice at the age of sixteen and continued through three years at West Chester University, where I majored in both voice and piano. When I auditioned for the Concert Choir at West Chester, the director (Lois Williams) told me that my sight reading audition was one of the best she had ever heard. I'm a great believer in the use of solfege syllables to teach sight singing. The only way to have an awareness of what note is coming next when sight-singing, is to know exactly where you are relative to "Do" in the key in which the song is written. In order to be a good sight-singer, a person needs to develop excellent musicianship; that is, a basic understanding of keys and music theory. Anyone can be taught to follow the notes on a page up and down, but good sight-reading requires the ability to know how far up and how far down to go. I've continually practiced my sight-reading skills, most recently as the choir director at my church for the past six years. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone more qualified in this area. voice (music) I love to sing! I've been singing for as long as I can remember. There's always some song in my head that eventually starts coming out of my mouth. I've sung in church choirs since I was a child. Throughout junior and senior high school I sang in every available choral group; I was even selected for District Chorus every year of high school. After high school I attended West CHester University for three years as a voice major, studying with Mr. Alan Wagner. During that time I was selected for the Concert Choir under Lois Williams, and played the lead "Dame Hannah" in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "Ruddigore." I've soloed at many weddings, funerals, and church events, and recently resigned the position of choir director at my church after holding that position for six years. I have much to offer anyone in need of a vocal coach.