Tal Shalom-Kobi

My mission as a teacher is to help the students find their unique voice through music composition and performance and to help them achieve their life goals and aspirations. As a mentor and advisor, I encourage my students to use their music as an integral part of their lives. I see my work as more than teaching students to string notes together. I try to motivate my students to express themselves as humans, to discover and hone their individual skills and strengths. I strive to find the right amount of challenge for each student or class. Over the years, I’ve found that students are most motivated to learn when I create a safe space and supportive community within my program and I’m excited and motivated to continue my work with students for the remainder of my career.

My goal has always been to foster a love of music in a comfortable environment. I love it when a student engages with and explores a style of music they weren’t familiar with and puts it on their playlist. I also have the opportunity to evolve and expand my horizons learning from my students. I feel a sense of accomplishment when my students get over their fear of trying something new—I strongly believe that teachers benefit from reflection, self-assessment, and observation. At the end of every year, I ask my students for feedback, and I use it as a reference for the effectiveness of my teaching and an opportunity to improve different aspects of the curriculum.