104: Laying Strong Foundations at the Beginning of Your Career with Emma Fernandez
About this episode
Emma Fernandez shares her journey as a young piano teacher and the importance of building a strong foundation early in her career.
It’s easy to think you need decades of experience before you have something meaningful to offer as a piano teacher, but today’s guest proves otherwise. In this episode, I’m chatting with Emma Fernandez, an undergraduate piano major who is already running a thriving studio and building strong professional foundations. We talk about networking, professional organizations, social media growth, and what it looks like to lay intentional groundwork at the very beginning of your career. Emma shared how she began her piano lessons and discovered her love for music through choir. She explained how her teaching journey began during her final year of high school. The importance of pushing past feelings of being “too young” or “not qualified enough”. Emma described how her studio has grown to nearly 30 students in just three years. She highlighted the value of surrounding herself with supportive mentors and professors. She emphasized stepping outside her comfort zone to network and grow professionally. How attending an MTNA Collegiate Symposium sparked inspiration early on. The benefits of joining local music teacher organizations were discussed. How festivals, recitals, and examinations…
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