Arianna Goldina
What do you teach at the Prep Center?
Piano.
How old were you when you started music lessons?
I was six years old.
Why did you begin taking music lessons?
My parents saw that I was mesmerized by music and enrolled me in a local community music school. My teachers there noticed my ability and insisted that I audition for the special music school for gifted children. I was accepted and studied there until my graduation from high school. From there, my path led me to the Latvian State Conservatory and The Juilliard School of Music.
How do you vary your approach when you teach children at different ages and levels?
Each child is unique in his or her abilities and interests. I always adjust my approach to teaching students so as to nurture and support each child's very special individual qualities to allow everyone to reach his or her full potential and shine.
Have you had any students who have had notable accomplishments (acceptance to a select middle school, high school, or college; competitions; special performances)?
Yes. My students have won statewide competitions at the MTNA New York State Piano Performance Competition, MTNA Pennsylvania Composition Competition, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania's Young Classical Artists Competition, and Penn State's Maria Garcia Piano Competition, and local competitions at Achievement Awards Auditions (Pennsylvania) and Mid-Winter Musicales (New York). I have had students accepted into music programs at Manhattan School of Music (pre-college and college divisions), Mannes School of Music (pre-college), Ithaca College (college division), University of Wisconsin at Madison (graduate school), and the Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College (graduate school). Some students have been accepted into non-music programs, but continued to take piano lessons, at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, and Lehigh University. My students have also performed in major venues, such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Musikfest (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), and WVIA radio.
What are your most important goals for your students?
The most important goal is to instill in each student a lifelong love of music and the ability to express himself or herself through playing an instrument. Whether or not students pursue a career in music, music should always remain an important part of their lives, a source of joy and happiness.
What are the most important recommendations that you give to parents whose children study music?
Piano playing is a skill that needs to be honed on a regular basis. Make practicing part of your children's daily routine (e.g., always practice before doing homework), encourage them to listen to music at home, participate in music-related activities at school, and support their studies at the Prep Center.
