About Emma Girton
Emma Girton is an accomplished Voice and Piano Instructor who works with students of all ages and levels. For Emma, teaching is about combining two great loves: making music and building up people. She began taking piano lessons at the age of 7 and fell in love with the study of music. This quickly evolved into adding Voice Study in her childhood years, and her own lessons have been a highlight of her academic career. Her goal is to pass on the tradition of music to her students and build their confidence, competency, and artistic expression along the way.
Emma's childhood music studies branched into pursuit of a career in music. She earned her B.A. in Music as a Vocalist at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, where she was named a Valedictorian of her graduating class. While there, in addition to her work as a soloist, she was a member of several ensembles, including the Benedictine College Chamber Singers. She was able to explore many genres, from musical theater to medieval chant, often enjoying the technical challenges, but even more often just enjoying the opportunity to sing, make music, and connect with others. In her time at Benedictine College, Emma also continued to study piano as part of both her course-work and practical application in accompanying. She enjoys all genres of music on both instruments -- everything from classical to pop and musical theater.
Emma's goal in teaching is to empower and complement her students' existing strengths and helping them to grow not only in technical musical skill, but in expression and overall confidence. She believes that her role doesn't stop with encouraging her students to grow as musicians, but as people. To Emma, music is an ideal avenue for personal growth! Through lessons, her students take away important, non-musical life skills -- like problem solving, poise, interpersonal skills, and most importantly "mastery experiences" that boost self-esteem. In her students' lessons, Emma emphasizes strong technique development from day one and understanding the connection between music theory and musical literature. Her voice students develop their sound through progressive exercises and personalized repertoire. For her piano students, Emma utilizes traditional curriculums: her favorites are the Faber and Bastien methods.
Currently, when she's not teaching lessons, Emma is pursuing an M.T.S. at the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family and continues to work on her own skills as a musician.
