"Children possess the extraordinary ability to transform themselves into anything they wish.
Tapping into that ability and further encouraging a child's inherent curiosity enables teachers to impart, explain, demonstrate and inspire in such a way that students do not just repeat what they have learned but are so involved as to take personal ownership of knowledge.
Imagination is an uncharted territory offering boundless points of departure and discovery. It allows both student and teacher to share a journey through music based on genuine motivation.
My main objective when I teach is for students to gain independence. Students should be taught the necessary skills to make informed decisions on their own, regardless of age. It is extremely rewarding when my students ask me questions for which I have to search for an answer: it shows their interest in exploring the material more deeply. Together, we build a foundation on to which they can project and develop their own ideas.
Ultimately, I strive to facilitate my students' understanding of their own expectations and to find their own voice on the instrument, released from restrictions. If they carry home with them a sense that music is a valuable gift, that learning is not a duty but an act of exploration that leads to the sculpting of their identity, and that their combined efforts are at the source of their creative spirit, then I too have come closer to that which I set out to do."
— Gwendolyn Masin