Petra Beouw
About
I am a violin and piano teacher from Cape Town South Africa where I graduated with Honours in a Bachelor in violin performance from the University of Cape Town with distinction. I took piano as my second instrument of study. I have 7 years of violin teaching experience and 3 years of piano teaching experience. I also have given musicianship and aural (ear) training classes. I am currently studying a masters in music education at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. Most of my students have been young children but I have also had students from all ages, from children as young as three years old to adults who are in retirement.
Teaching Style
In terms of my own experience in music, I have performed as a solo violinist with the orchestra as well as being an ad hoc tutti violinist for the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and with the baroque violin for the Camerata Tinta Barocca and Cape Consort. I have a great interest in world music, folk or ethnic music from all over the world as well as different approaches to teaching music (for instance Dalcroze eurhythmics) and performing. Because of the styles of music I have and I have performed with traditional African musicians and ensembles, performed with MusicDance021 interdisciplinary real-time composition project and attended a summer school in Dalcroze Eurhythmics. I seem to have a bit of a global approach to music, perhaps as I have received tuition in music for short or long periods of time in South Africa, Europe, California, China, and Australia.
Curriculum
Attending Kodaly training at the conservatory has equipped me to teach from an auditory and a songs based perspective, where singing is integrated in the instrumental lessons. The sequence of learning in this approach is sound, name and lastly symbol (which is opposite to a more conventional teaching style where the symbol, ie. sheet music is the first step). I also use movement inside of lessons, as I have had some training inside of the Dalcroze eurhythmics approach. This approach sees movement as the embodiment of the music. I also actively incorporate elements of creativity in my teaching, for example creating improvisations, or making musical stories.
I am happy to teach online lessons as well as in person lessons. In my online lessons I have the same approach to music lessons, ie. Singing and movements are still incorporated in the lessons. In teaching (particularly in the online format where in-person demonstrations are not possible) I also sometimes compile videos for the students to use to help with practicing.
Credentials & Affiliations
Bachelor in Music from the University of Cape Town.
