FLUTE LESSONS
"Joanna's passion for music is evident in her enthusiastic and energetic teaching techniques."
Joanna Lau is a Boston-based flute teacher offering lessons both in-person (Greater Boston area) and online (via Zoom, etc). She is also on the Flute Faculty of Powers Music School in Belmont, MA. Previously, Joanna taught flute at Through The Staff —a program offering free virtual private lessons to students with less accessibility to private music education—and was a member of Back to Bach Project and Continuo—organizations which bring music & arts education to children and the community. Joanna has also created and taught music programs through the Boston Children's Museum.
Teaching Experience and Philosophy
I have six+ years of experience teaching elementary-high school age students in Boston, NY, Pittsburgh, and online. My students have achieved top scores in state solo evaluations (e.g. NYSSMA). I welcome students of all ages and levels! In teaching, my first goal is to nurture a love for music in students and guide them in learning to enjoy the process of creating music. I try to cater to a student's specific needs and interests in making learning flute a fun, rewarding experience. On a more technical level, I prioritize guiding students towards a strong basis of sound and efficient, healthy technique, first and foremost. I advocate for a sound that is resonant, free, and not constricted/diminished in any way by the body. I aim to equip students with the skills they need to improve and become their own best teachers—particularly in terms of practice techniques, warm-ups, exercises, etc.
To inquire about lessons/rates, please send an email to joannalau01@gmail.com.
TESTIMONIALS
I had the privilege of having Joanna as my flute teacher for nearly five years. She was incredibly supportive throughout my entire journey, turning me into the great player I am today. No matter the skill level, she always emphasized my fundamentals. From there, Joanna helped enhance my skills and techniques. Under her instruction, I went from playing simple band pieces to performing advanced flute repertoire, including works like Bach Sonatas to Godard's Suite de Trois Morceaux. She's incredibly understanding of any inconveniences and will always do her best to make do with any scheduling constraints. Besides being a great teacher, Joanna is extremely friendly and never fails to make lessons enjoyable. Overall, I am super grateful for and satisfied with all that Joanna has done for me and would highly recommend her lessons.
~ Jordan Kwong, 12th grade flute student
"It is my pleasure to strongly recommend Joanna Lau as a music teacher. Joanna displayed great talent while teaching Avni. Her passion for music is evident in her enthusiastic and energetic teaching techniques. She was exceedingly patient with Avni and encouraged her to give her best effort to every piece. During NYSSMA solo evaluations, Joanna carefully selected the appropriate music and prepared Avni thoroughly which resulted in excellent final scores.
I am confident that Joanna has provided the music education Avni needs to advance in her music career. I am tremendously grateful for everything she has taught my daughter and the joy music has brought to our family."
~ Charu Sharma, parent of 4th-6th grade student
"Miss Joanna was a helpful and inspiring teacher to me. I loved how in the first class, she already knew what music I needed and what I could work on. She was kind and patient when I got lost. She gave me resources and tips I will never forget. For example, she marked my flute so I always knew how much I should roll out my flute. She taught me how to read music and would break it up to make it easier. She helped with my Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School audition piece and more. In conclusion, she is a wonderful player and teacher and helped me so much."
~ Rose, 5th-6th grade student
"I loved having Joanna as my teacher. She always made sure I was comfortable with the lesson and encouraged me to follow my heart. She made the lessons fun, letting me play around with the music so it fit me and my best interests. This allowed me to rise to the top of my skills. She was so kind and enthusiastic during lessons, make suring any mistakes became part of the learning process. This made me a better player. This is why Joanna is a wonderful recommendation as a teacher for all ages!"
~ Elona, 4th-5th grade student
"A friend of mine gave me Joanna's contact, and I had no idea what a gem we stumbled upon. Joanna, without a doubt, is an extremely talented flutist...As my daughter's teacher, Joanna was always punctual with lessons and extremely accomodating. She is very sweet and my daughter connected with her instantly. Joanna paid attention to my daughter's weaknesses and continuously helped her throughout. She would go one step further by making notes after the flute lesson and continuing to send updates to my daughter's band teacher. Joanna is very bright, hardworking and humble. She consistently pushed my daughter to optimize her potential."
~ Suby Mathew, parent of 5th grade student
"Joanna worked wonders and helped my daughter master her flute NYSSMA solo evaluation pieces. We were lucky to have Joanna for two years...Other than being great at what she does, Joanna is a sweet and reliable individual. I would highly recommend Joanna!"
~ Maria Vasaka, parent of 5th-6th grade student
"Joanna tutored my daughter in both Math and flute. She did great with both subjects and my daughter enjoyed every lesson. Joanna is very friendly and keeps her students at ease, which helps young learners to progress. She is an amazing role model for youngsters and a pleasure to work with."
~ Sara Safdar, parent of 5th grade student