About Giraldo School of Piano
Our Students:
Perform Regularly
Students prepare for at least 4 major performances every year.
Develop Holistic Appreciation
Our students receive integrated instruction in theory, history, and technique.
Build a History of Accomplishment
Students are celebrated! Awards, certificates, and strong letters of recommendation recognize our student's exceptional growth!
About Felipe Giraldo
Felipe is, first and foremost, passionate about the art of education; he is an educator above all else. Teaching, in a variety of forms, has been the whole of his professional and academic life. The holistic development of his student’s intellectual, artistic, and educational life is his passion and highest priority.
He has received a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology, with a thesis focused on motivation, and two Bachelor’s degrees: one in Piano Performance and another English Literature. His focus on motivation is something that he brings into his piano teaching as he believes it is the essential ingredient for optimal progress. He keeps an unswerving eye towards his student’s motivation and is keen on working with parents to ensure that everything is being done to develop student drive.
Felipe has taught for several years, in addition to having a multifaceted career as a music director, choral director, organist, and accompanist. While keeping a busy schedule as a professional musician, full-time teacher, and full-time student, he devotes himself to finding and being involved with families that prioritize and care seriously about their children's education. He has directed concerts and performed at several venues throughout the tri-state area in addition to being available for private events, such as weddings and cocktail parties, throughout the year.
Felipe is a participating member of several professional associations throughout the tri-state area, as a part of his concerted effort to provide his students with a rich, and comprehensive, musical education. Through the associations he gives multiple performance/recognition opportunities throughout the year, in order to celebrate his student’s achievements, and to create an academic history of their efforts. He is proud to say that he has known his students long enough, and well enough, to write important recommendations for the span of his student’s academic life.
Felipe is very lucky to say that his personal piano practice is dedicated almost entirely towards learning beautiful new music almost exclusively for the sake of being a better teacher.
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Get Started!History
The Giraldo School of Piano, a small private piano studio, arose from my early work with my private piano students. I saw a strong need for an approach to piano teaching that would prioritize: (1) developing the whole intellectual life of the student and (2) developing the motivation factor in piano playing. Thus, the “school” of “School of Piano” refers to an approach, to my specific body of students; an approach that accommodates to the individual’s needs and seeks to guide them towards the “whole” good a properly targeted musical education can provide.
Spring of 2013
Through multiple performances and collaborative projects in the Westchester area, I managed to garner a small group of private piano students. I am so delighted to say that that core groups of students are still with me today and thriving. My experience with them showed me the immense difference a teacher can make in the life of a young person. I became enamored with teaching, not just piano, but, at the heart of it, the art of learning, the practice of practice.
Summer of 2017
The immense success of the first four years of teaching was completely due to the outstanding help of my students and their families; they were essential in helping spread the word about piano lessons, and encouraging the expansion of the piano studio. In the summer of 2017, thanks to their help, I launched the first version of my website, along with a logo (which stands for “strong foundations”) and other essential advertising material.
Fall of 2018
Due to my fascination with specifically piano pedagogy, but also, education as a whole, I applied to my MA program in Educational Psychology, the study of how people learn. In my coursework I studied child and adolescent development; learning behaviors and theories; motivation; and finished a year-long thesis project focusing on motivation. I continue to see the development motivation as one of the principle concerns in education and my piano studio.
Summer of 2020
Having completed the invaluable MA in Educational Psychology, the future of the piano studio begins with the launch of a new website, made possible (and beautifully) by a dear friend, Mike. I’m looking forward to launching a new advertising campaign, including both online and local/community dimensions. I am also excited about the possibility of responding to the novel educational needs presented by COVID-19 and engaging in the necessary reconceptualization of education that has long been over-due.