Teaching Philosophy at Oberlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0ioZUfqmcg

2008 video profile of Sedmara Zakarian Rutstein, Professor of Pianoforte at Oberlin College in Ohio, featuring her students playing and Professor Rutstein speaking.

I do not believe in “one size fits all.” My teaching methodology recognizes individual differences in student abilities, temperaments, needs, and backgrounds. Let me describe this methodology:

1. Students are strongly encouraged to both control and evaluate in detail all aspects of their performance.

2. We develop techniques together to enable students to listen to themselves in both practice and performance settings.

3. Both the technical and musical demands of the composer are thoroughly discussed, and we attempt to establish the general principles by which students may judge their performance in terms of its consistency with the style and artistic requirements of the era and composer.

4. Strong emphasis on daily practice routines, including suitable warm-up regimens and the identification of extraordinary technical demands required by particular pieces.

5. Detailed attention to overall planning of repertoire assignments, recognizing the student’s particular tastes and technical/artistic limitations.

6. Weekly discussions and explanations of specific practice methods aimed at the repertoire discussed above. For this to be accomplished, well-organized and intensive daily practice is de rigueur.

7. Discussions of my views on actual performance based on a long career on the concert stage. Students should perform as often as possible in suitable venues, such as student recitals, public performances of both chamber and solo repertoire, and, of course, participation in national and international competitions.