Piano, Voice
Deborah started playing the piano when she was three, and sang in the cherub choir, children's choir, youth choir, and, eventually, the adult choir at her church. Music creation has always been a part of her life.
Deborah remembers sitting on the piano bench at her grandmother's house playing that out of tune piano for hours. Deborah's grandmother was a pianist, and the first time that Deborah heard her play, she wanted to play too! As a result of that influence, Deborah played the piano throughout grade school, junior high, and high school, and sang in the choir. Deborah finished her piano course her junior year in high school. Deborah went on to eventually graduate from the University Of Houston after receiving several awards for composition, and another for lyrics and prose creation.
Now Deborah focuses mainly on her students, as well as performing at church functions and pageants. Teaching has been the best thing that's ever happened to Deborah, and that's where she places most of her energy. Watching her students perform after working so hard is something she looks forward to for weeks and takes pride in afterwards!
Deborah had two music teachers whose influences continue to inspire her today. The first was her piano teacher, Madelyn, and the second was her junior high choir teacher, Mrs. Van Horne. Madelyn always encouraged Deborah to write her own music, and was very positive about the interest Deborah took in doing other things with music aside from sight-reading. Mrs. Van Horne was strict, but she taught Deborah a wealth of information that Deborah still uses to teach her own students today. Mrs. Van Horne also believed in Deborah's abilities to read, write, and compose music.
Deborah's story of teaching music began when she was in her late twenties in 2008. After a few years, she realized that teaching had become her passion, and helping others succeed in music was more important to her than the life she had before.
Deborah of course wants students to learn the notes and the theory, but more important than that, she wants them to learn passion. A student who has passion for music will learn much faster, and will retain so much more if he or she remains interested. Deborah has music theory games to help kids memorize musical symbols, meanings, and definitions. If a child has difficulty in understanding a concept, Deborah will explain it in a different way to help the student understand. Clapping rhythms can become tedious and boring, therefore, Deborah utilizes the use of hand bells for rhythm practice.
Deborah is a very happy person, and loves to smile, laugh, and joke with her students. She does her best to build a reporte with each family, and as a result, those families become a part of hers. She goes out of her way to make sure that the focus is on the progression of each student, and that the student receives the recognition and praise that Deborah's teachers once gave to her.