Siobhan McGovern
About
Hello, my name is Siobhan. I am a passionate and versatile music teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience. I am dedicated to helping my students achieve their musical goals and enjoy watching them progress. My teaching career began at the age of 16 when I taught private violin lessons. I continued to develop my skills and knowledge by earning a Bachelor of Music Degree (Jazz Studies Voice) at Toronto’s Humber College, where I also worked as a peer tutor teaching music theory to my fellow classmates. I spent nine years living in Thailand, where I worked as a professional musician and private music teacher. Here, I obtained my Licentiate in Music Teaching from RSL and established my own music school, honing a diverse skill set and gaining valuable experience. Throughout the years, my students have attained numerous accomplishments, including winning competitions, excelling in music exams (RSL Awards, ABRSM, and music theory), and preparing for auditions, college, and university applications.
In recent years, I have continued to expand my skill set by developing new skills such as cooking gourmet vegetarian food, managing a kitchen, managing social media pages, video editing, and completing my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course. During the pandemic, I began creating music classes that are specifically designed to be delivered online. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, reading, travel, practicing, and performing music. I am committed to continuing to learn and grow throughout life's journey and look forward to sharing my passion for music with my students.
My teaching philosophy is centered on creating a warm, friendly, and fun learning environment for my students, while staying focused and working hard to help them progress and achieve their musical goals. I believe in catering lessons to the individual's learning style and teaching songs that they request, as this helps to make the learning experience more enjoyable and engaging.
I believe that every student is unique, and I tailor my teaching approach to meet their individual needs and learning styles. I use a variety of teaching methods and materials to ensure that my students are engaged and motivated to learn. One of my favourite teaching methods is 'call and answer’ which helps students develop their musical ear alongside their music reading abilities. Additionally, I create resources for students, including chord charts, song recordings, and practice recordings, to enhance their learning experience and provide them with valuable tools for practice and skill development.
With online lessons there is a wonderful feature where you can record all your lessons. I recommend repeating lesson videos to all of my students as a valuable way to practice at home.
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies (Humber College & Thompson-Rivers University)
Licentiate in Music Teaching (RSL Awards)