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Learn More About Carol's Experience:

general music My bachelor's degree from Drew University is in Music. It is a comprehensive degree, meaning I did not specialize in only ONE or TWO small sub-areas of music. As music majors, we were expected to study all facets of music--from history and musicology to theory and performance. I have taught high-school music for the past four years with a focus on vocal music and music history, and I also give private lessons which obviously focus on the technical and performance aspects of musicianship. All of this experience and my well rounded music background make me a strong candidate to teach or tutor general music. grammar My father is an avid grammarian, and from my earliest days in elementary school, he demanded that my writing be grammaticaly correct, thoroughly composed, and clear. This never left me, and I looked forward to editing sessions each time I had an assignment. I was also fortunate that my 6th-grade teacher emphasized grammar despite the fact that such a curriculum had fallen out of favor in education. He taught me to diagram sentences, which was invaluable to me. I continued to enjoy and learn throughout my school career. I pride myself that I always earned high marks on my papers in high school and college; I earned a 720 on the Writing SAT, a 5 on the AP English exam, and was exempt from any writing requirements while at Drew University. I was a frequent tutor and editor while in college, working with my peers on their papers and research projects, and I am proud to say that I never earned below an "A" on any college paper that was written in english... :) As a high-school teacher, my choral students would give me a hard time for correcting the grammar on their writing assignments. Later on each year, however, they all would thank me for holding them accoutable and improving their writing (even if mine was "supposed to be just a music class!") For these reasons, I am eager to help others improve their writing skills and knowledge of proper grammar. music history My undergraduate major is in music, and my minor specialty is in history. My two loves are music and history. For the past four years, I have taught a Humanities course at Toms River HS South, which focusses on the history of our human culture. I team-teach this class, and my primary focus is on the significance of music from a historical aspect. I also have been teaching Music Appreciation for the past two years: This class eluminates the development of music from a historical context and teaches students to recognize particular pieces of music as related to their historical significance. My considerable background in music and my academic focus (both while in school and as a teacher) makes the history of music not just a favorite study of mine, but one of my strongest suits as a teacher. music theory Most musicians groan at the thought of music theory. It's a necessary aggravation. I am one of those few who actually love it. Music is the perfect synthesis of emotion and logic: It is a precise mathematic language; it employs physical scientific principals; yet it is artistic, expressive, and highly emotional at the same time. While the emotional aspects are fulfilling in many ways, my mind always tends toward the logical; and I therefore always enjoyed and excellend at music theory. In college, I was the sole theory tutor for the entire music department and was praised by my professor as one of the best theory students she encountered in her career. I have spent the past four years teaching Vocal Music in a public high school and pride myself that I center my music program around a solid basis in theory. piano I began piano lessons at 7, as most youngsters do. I am the first to admit that I was not always the most enthusiastic student, and this attitude was reflected in my practice habits. Once in high school, however, my motivation kicked into overdrive. Without the help of lessons, I decided to make up for lost time and improved my skills considerably...enough so that I was hired to play at Church and even accompany their choir. In college, I studied in the classical method (which filled in the gaps left empty from my self-taught improvisational and sight-reading skills). I became well respected at Drew University and became the chorale accompanist and the music director of theatrical productions. I am now a high-school music teacher, and have become a well respected music director and performance pianist. I am a pianist and organist at many churches in town and have played in many orchestras for musicals at local high schools and intermediate schools. sight singing As a trained musician, I consider myself first and foremost, a choral singer. I am a proficient singer and pianist, yet my forte is choral singing. This is because my strengths as a musician are in music theory and sight-singing. My understanding of music theory is deep, which I owe to a strong musical background and the teachings of many wonderful instructors I have encountered throughout my entire life. As a high-school and college student, I was often appointed as the tutor for those taking sight-singing classes, despite my not being enrolled in the class myself. I am now a Vocal Music teacher and stress the elements of interval recognition and sight-reading. When auditioning for choral groups, my highest marks are always in the tonal memory and sight-reading portions. My current students' skills have significantly improved since joining my studio, and I stress the importance of such skills no matter what their focus---performance, teaching, choral singing, or even musical theatre. Sight singing is not an easy thing to teach because it demands much of the talent of students. I have much proven success, both in the high school in which I teach and in my private studio. voice (music) It is very difficult for me to tout my own successes, especially when it comes to my musical talent because "quality music" is often (if not always) a matter of taste. What I can be certain of is that my talent for TEACHING voice is indisputable. Sometimes I do not know why it is that my descriptions and exercises are so effective; but I have had the joy of watching all of my students, whether in my public-school classroom or in my private studio, grow and develop a tremendous amount while under my mentorship. I have a strong background in vocal pedagogy, a thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the voice, and a wealth of personal experience (and vocal struggles) that aid me in assisting students discover their voice. Whether it be solo performance or choral singing, I am comfortable and confident in my skills as a director. I have sung a variety of genre myself (classical, musical theatre, jazz, pop, church), which helps me instruct a wide variety of students...with a wide variety of interests. I pride myself in being student-specific while still using my knowledge to guide them down new and enriching paths.