Emily Best
Vancouver BC | v5t2r4
About me
Emily Best is a professional musician and music instructor based out of East Vancouver. She teaches piano, vocal technique, songwriting, theory and arranging to all levels and ages. Specializing in jazz and contemporary music, Emily has experience teaching many musical genres and draws upon a diverse background of music education, teaching, songwriting and performance experience to inform her instruction style.
Growing up in a musical family, her creative spark for music was ignited at an early age. She began studying piano at age six, completing Royal Conservatory examinations to the grade 8 level. By age 14, she ventured beyond her classical roots to pursue private piano studies in jazz and contemporary technique in tandem with vocal performance and songwriting. In 2007, with the intention of strengthening her songwriting skills she pursued a degree in Creative Writing degree from the University of Victoria. In 2010, she attended Vancouver Community College’s intensive jazz/contemporary performance program to study jazz piano performance and classical voice. She graduated in 2013.
In addition to her experience as a performing musician and private instructor, Emily has over five years’ experience engaging in alternative methods of private and group instruction. She has been teaching with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music since 2013 where she has had the opportunity to teach and develop curriculum for group music classes in tandem with the Canucks' Autism Network, Sarah McLachlan’s seniors’ ukelele ensembles, piano classes, and provide group project-based music education to inner-city schools around the lower mainland.
As an instructor, she believes that keeping her students inspired to learn is integral to their success. She is supporter of project-based emergent curriculum and while she is very passionate about youth engagement with the arts, believes a love for music can be cultivated at any age. By maintaining a focus on effective practicing techniques and collaboratively developing time management strategies with her students to help them best achieve their goals, Emily strives to promote a supportive and personalized learning environment for beginner and advanced students in hopes of inspiring a love for music they can keep with them for the rest of their lives.
Specialties
Musical Literacy and Independence
Chart writing and composition
Transcribing and ear training
Solfege and Vocal technique
Improvisation
Performance Techiniques
Ergonomics/Positioning
Early fundamentals training through project-based community work
Mindfulness and Self Regulation
Use of technology in music (through use of loop pedals, computer software, synthesizers and various electro-acoustic percussion)
Lesson details
My mission is to provide a comfortable creative environment for my students where they feel free to express themselves and explore with music. I like to spend our first lesson discovering their goals and aspirations. After gaining a better understanding of my students' motivation for taking lessons, I then create a customized and individualized lesson curriculum that we can follow (and adapt as needed) throughout the term. Goals will shift as new ideas emerge, so I like to stay open minded and adaptable throughout our lessons as my students discover more about the direction they'd like to go. Our lessons will often entail a well-rounded development of applied technique, literacy, composition and ear training with a focus on relaxation and mindfulness.
Education and Accreditation
Vancouver Community College Diploma/Undergraduate Degree Program: Jazz/Contemporary Piano Performance Major and Classical Voice
(September 2010 - April 2013)
Royal Conservatory of Music: Grade 8 Examinations Complete
Testimonials
"Emily is currently teaching our five year old daughter and our thirteen year old son. Emily is great at...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZLezgvMrBw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9YyF03covY
https://www....
Experience
Rates
Availability
Monday mornings + afternoons
Tuesday mornings + evenings
Wednesday mornings + afternoons/evenings
Thursday mornings + evenings
Friday mornings + afternoons/evenings
$60-70 per hour. $35/half hour.