Bernadette Fernandez

Ages 5 to 14, Beginner to Intermediate

Piano
4 to adult, Beginner to Intermediate

Associates of Arts, Brazosport College

Teaching Philosophy

As a music teacher, my core values are: cultivating a good work ethic, developing artistry, and exposure to music.

Effective practicing is more than simply practicing thirty minutes daily or playing a bar of music five times in a row; it’s learning what techniques to use to fix mistakes and make playing easier. While practicing isn’t always fun, I believe students can learn to enjoy the challenge and develop a love of practicing in itself.

Additionally, a good musician can play the correct notes and rhythms; a great musician knows how to bring out the emotion the composer is trying to communicate. I believe in encouraging students to use their imagination to look at music in new ways and that even the movement of the hands can tell a story.

Finally, there is so much music that has brought me joy throughout my life and I want to share that with students. The music of composers is all around us in pop culture and it’s lasted through the centuries for a reason. I also want to break the stereotype that classical music is irrelevant and dull, and to humanize the composers themselves.

Biography

Bernadette Fernandez has taught private piano lessons for six years and worked with a wide range of students. She holds an Associate of Arts from Brazosport College and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

She began taking piano lessons at the age of four and has worked with many wonderful teachers since then, including Dr. Ivan Hurd at UTSA. Additionally, she has consistently received top marks for piano competitions in her hometown Lake Jackson TX, including winning the piano category in the Brazosport Young Artist Competition in her junior year of high school. She has also performed numerous recitals from a young age, including playing with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra at the 2019 Whit Phillips Memorial concert.

When she is not teaching, practicing, or performing, Bernadette enjoys reading, creative writing, drawing, and baking. She also listens to a wide variety of music, from John Williams to Taylor Swift.