Jennifer Hemken
Jennifer Hemken, Piano
What do you want to impart to your students through your teaching?
I want my students to love music.
Are there specific methods or techniques that you use in your teaching that may be
important to share with prospective students?
I use standard methods (such as Faber). Although I am strict about technique and musicality,
I emphasize creativity and experimentation.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy seeing a student brighten with excitement, just for the joy of playing piano.
Briefly describe your musical pursuits outside Sherwood.
I am taking major symphony auditions with my horn, learning solo repertoire on piano,
pursuing an interest in composition, and I am interested in working with singers.
What is your earliest musical experience or memory?
I remember (at age four) when I ran home to tell my mother, "Mommy, Mommy, I learned a new note! It was B-flat!"
Please describe one of your favorite teachers or mentors:
When I first came to Chicago, Dale Clevenger "picked me up off the ground," and I started to believe in myself even though lesser teachers had disdained me.
Who is your favorite composer, or what is your favorite musical period?
My favorite composers remain Schumann, Brahms, and Chopin.
What do you want to impart to your students through your teaching?
I want my students to love music.
Are there specific methods or techniques that you use in your teaching that may be
important to share with prospective students?
I use standard methods (such as Faber). Although I am strict about technique and musicality,
I emphasize creativity and experimentation.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy seeing a student brighten with excitement, just for the joy of playing piano.
Briefly describe your musical pursuits outside Sherwood.
I am taking major symphony auditions with my horn, learning solo repertoire on piano,
pursuing an interest in composition, and I am interested in working with singers.
What is your earliest musical experience or memory?
I remember (at age four) when I ran home to tell my mother, "Mommy, Mommy, I learned a new note! It was B-flat!"
Please describe one of your favorite teachers or mentors:
When I first came to Chicago, Dale Clevenger "picked me up off the ground," and I started to believe in myself even though lesser teachers had disdained me.
Who is your favorite composer, or what is your favorite musical period?
My favorite composers remain Schumann, Brahms, and Chopin.