The School

A small Brooklyn-based school, Rubato Music School provides in-home lessons for voice and instruments in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The school fosters a nurturing environment to both students and teachers, encouraging flexibility and creativity on the fascinating path of connecting students to music. Teachers are professionally trained and well-versed in a variety of musical styles and teaching approaches.

Lessons offer a good balance between teacher directed and student directed content. Students learn to improvise, read music, collaborate with other musicians and perform at semi-annual recitals. Let us bring music into your lives!

Rubato

Rubato?
“The temporary disregarding of strict tempo to allow an expressive quickening or slackening, usually without altering the overall pace.” (Oxford Dictionary) In other words: flexibility without losing sight of the intended goal. This has been my teaching philosophy for years and it is what I look for in each Rubato Music School teacher.

Mission?
Rubato Music School aims at providing high quality teaching while combining creativity and efficiency. The teaching process stays as flexible as needed to connect the student with music and encourage enthusiasm in the learning process.

How?
Teachers at Rubato Music School are truly enthusiastic about teaching, remaining open-minded while maintaining pedagogical intentions. Rubato Music School provides a nurturing environment for teachers to become ever more resourceful, filling their bag of “tricks,” so as to maximize their efficiency in teaching and leave as much room for creativity in the lessons as possible. In order to achieve this, Rubato Music School hosts monthly meetings and teachers regularly observe each other’s lessons (with the students’ consent, of course!)

Why?
I would like to provide on a larger scale the wonderful teacher experience I had in 2012-2013 with my teaching assistants. I felt that I have become a much more creative, efficient and dynamic teacher from regularly observing my assistants’ lessons, having my lessons observed and discussing ideas with them at our meetings. Stimulating new ideas and continued growth in teachers will keep them as excited about teaching as students ought to be about learning!

 

Lessons

Students
All ages and levels are welcome!

Location
Lessons are taught in your home.

Duration and frequency
Depending on the student’s age, level and personal interest; usually 45-60 minutes, once a week.

Lesson content
Repertoire (learning pieces), theory, keyboard skills (for pianists), ear training, sight-reading, improvisation, composition and music history.

Musical genres
Rubato teachers are open to all genres, including Classical, Boogie Woogie, Ragtime, Jazz, Pop, Musicals, Film Music, Improvisation, etc. Starting with late beginner to early advanced levels, at least one piece a term will be an original Classical piece and at least one piece a term will be from another style. If you or your child are interested on a particular style, we will of course accommodate that interest.

Learning styles
Rubato teachers are comfortable with all learning styles. Students will mainly learn pieces by reading notes, but at least one piece a term will be learned by ear or by imitation (copying the teacher). Jazz and some Pop are taught with chord charts. Improvisation will be used for various exercises in each lesson. As with the music genres, if students have a special interest, like learning by ear or by imitation only, we will of course accommodate this interest.

Chamber music
Students are highly encouraged to play chamber music with a family member, friend or other Rubato Music School student living close-by. This can either be a duet with another instrument or 4-hand music with another pianist. There is no minimum level required, as students are capable of learning easy canons, like Frère Jacques, in one of their very first lessons. At least one piece a term will be a chamber music piece.

Practice sessions
In addition to weekly instrumental lessons, students may take practice sessions (30 minutes), ideally scheduled 2-3 days before or after their lesson. Supervised practice sessions are extremely helpful in refining practice habits and will greatly contribute to their progress.

Student recitals
There is a student recital near the end of each term. All children and teenagers are highly encouraged to participate. Adults may participate in adult student recitals.