"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent."

 ~Victor Hugo

 Biography

Dawn Tareila Harr graduated from Geneva College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, earning magna cum laude honors. She completed additional college coursework in music (private piano study w/ Geneva faculty, aural skills, music theory and music history) as well as earning her education degree and receiving teaching certification for grades K-8 in the state of Pennsylvania. During her time at Geneva College, she performed regularly in recitals at Geneva College (piano), as well as in the Geneva College Concert and Marching bands (flute).

Following graduation, she maintained a full-time schedule as an independent private piano instructor in the West Salem, Ohio area and served as a church pianist and choir accompanist for many years. After a brief sabbatical from teaching from 2005-2006 due to relocation and a new marriage, Dawn has recently re-opened her studio in Medina, Ohio and is now accepting new piano students.

Dawn is a member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She enjoys teaching students of all
ages  --adults as well as children -- and is equally comfortable teaching beginners and advancing
pianists.

Dawn is active in music ministry at Living Hope Church of Medina, where she enjoys serving as a pianist/keyboardist and also as a vocalist. She also enjoys songwriting/music composition, and participating in creative projects with area pop/rock ensembles.  Dawn also  enjoys accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists from area high schools.

My Teaching Philosophy

My goal as a teacher is to help students acquire an understanding of the technical aspects of playing the piano, a thorough background in reading music in its written form, practical knowledge of music
theory, listening skills that will help them to add artistry to their  playing, and an understanding of
composing and/or improvisation. By understanding these things – the “building blocks” of music--
students can truly understand whatever type of music they happen to be playing.

I have taught students who are interested in a wide variety of musical genres, including classical, pop, and Christian contemporary music, as well as more traditional church music. However, all musical
styles share common elements. It is critical for all aspiring pianists to start out with the basics. Though
I definitely enjoy working with students who are more advanced and who might want to primarily
focus on playing a particular style of music, I equally enjoy helping beginning and intermediate
students become well-rounded musicians – the first critical step in their musical journey.

I don't teach using one particular set of “method books” but instead prefer to tailor my teaching approach to the individual student's strengths, weaknesses, and interests by utilizing a variety of teaching materials. I do generally start younger beginners off using books from Faber's Piano Adventures series of books, or books from Alfred's Premier Piano Course, but I supplement heavily with other books to fill in any weakness that I see in the method books, and if a student needs a more challenging curriculum or simply wants a change of pace, I'm not reluctant to change books.

For adult and teen beginners, I utilize a number of age appropriate books including Faber's Adult Piano
Course and Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course. In the case of more advanced students of all ages, I
branch out into other areas by teaching classical repertoire, various types of pop and/or church music, reading chord progressions from lead sheets, and whatever else the student happens to be interested in.

I emphasize ear training and knowledge of music theory from the very first lesson, and also allow
interested students plenty of opportunities to create their own music rather than always reading music that someone else has written. Even my youngest students are encouraged to compose their own songs and improvise, even before they've learned how to read all of the notes on a grand staff!

Last but certainly not least, although I take music seriously and am committed to helping my students attain the best musical education possible, I also think that piano lessons should be FUN! Learning to play the piano definitely requires some effort, but it should be an enjoyable and rewarding process.