Ed-jam-ucation: Mabel holds a BA in Music and Clinical Psychology from Tufts University.
How Mabel JAMS with you: Mabel thinks of themselves as a very patient, adaptable and high-energy teacher. Through years of experience, they have learned a lot about how to tailor lessons to keep students engaged. They make sure to incorporate a lot of creativity and improvisation into their lessons, while still maintaining an effective balance between the fun activities/games/improvisation and learning to read notes. In their own words, “One of the most important parts of being a teacher for me is always having a positive, encouraging attitude with my students. I remember as a kid getting really discouraged when I wouldn’t understand a concept/didn’t think something I was playing sounded good. My familiarity with those feelings of frustration has motivated me to be really sensitive to my students’ individual needs and feelings during lessons, always making sure they feel supported. One activity I like to do with my students is to listen to one of their favorite songs and teach them how to play parts of it by ear, whether that’s a melodic line, chord progression, or even just a rhythmic motif. Even with really young kids I’ve found this is a great way to connect what they’re learning in lessons to their music listening life.”
