Mentor: Emiline Ellis
I chose my piano teacher, Emiline Ellis, as my mentor because she has supported my growth as a piano student and as a person over the last 5 years that she has been teaching me. She has encouraged my love of music, and set an example of the dedication it takes to continue improving ones skills. She has pushed me out of my comfort zone in terms of musical stylings that I never would have picked on my own, and has introduced me to composers I now consider to be my favorites. Her gentle insistence that I start playing more emotional ballads instead of strict pieces with driving tempos allowed me to find an emotional outlet in piano as well as a mental one. with her help, I have found an appreciation for slow, dramatic pieces with lots of room for personal interpretation, instead of the stricter rules I found comforting in the past. Emiline is one of the most passionate people I have ever met. She started her own studio fresh out of college and has only continued to grow her business and her brand in the years that have followed. Being a piano teacher is her full time job, and it's clear from every moment with her that it's a perfect fit for her. She cares so much for all of her students, and her pride in them is the most apparent at the recitals she hosts every year. As a student, Emiline's not-so-subtle nudges towards interpretive pieces has allowed me to find my creative side. I used to think projects without a perfectly set rubric were my worst nightmare, but after all these years as Emiline's student, she has taught me to get more comfortable with my creative side. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Emiline also taught me how to be organized and consistent in my piano practice. while I've always loved piano, I haven't always been the best at practicing. My old teacher never really enforced it, and I developed some bad habits like only practicing the day before my lesson. When I switched to Emiline, she had some stricter expectation that scared me a little at first, but have definitely made me a much better musician in the long run.