~ Update for Fall 2020 ~

Due to a family situation (thankfully a happy one!), I will be taking a couple months off during the fall of 2020. Because of this absence, as well as the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, I will not be taking any new students for the fall semester 2020. This will allow me to keep a small studio and focus on delivering a high-quality experience for current students. I hope to start accepting new students again in the summer/fall of 2021. Thanks for your understanding!

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Hi!  My name is Jess, and I am a music educator in Arlington, MA.  Piano is my specialty, and you can find me in my storefront studio at 85 Warren Street in East Arlington.  I am also into early childhood music, and run a music program of my own design based on the teachings of Orff, Kodaly, and Gordon at the Arlington Children’s Center.  From my humble beginnings being driven around as a baby with the radio on so I would fall asleep, I have spent my life immersed in music, and I am thrilled to be sharing my joy and passion for music with others!

I’ll admit, I’m bit of an education nerd – I enjoy figuring out how others learn best and designing activities that support their discovery and mastery of skills.  My years studying early childhood education at Boston University and working as a kindergarten teacher helped me develop a ‘student-centric’ approach to music lessons that is ideal not only for young beginners but also for students of any age.  My students and I work closely to choose songs they enjoy (be it songs they know or are creating, or pieces that they are excited to learn more about), explore music notation, and build a working musical vocabulary of gestures and sounds.  I love classical music, and have recently become fascinated with how examining music from the past opens a dialogue between composer and performer that bridges times and contexts.  When we interpret music, we are discovering a balance between our own thoughts and ideas about the notation and what we think the composer was trying to convey – what an amazing process!

If you would like to learn more about my musical offerings or would like to talk music or education, feel free to email me at jess@jesswestmusic.com, or use the form below to contact me.