Physics, Ph.D. with a BA in Music with a concentration in Composition, Vocal Performance, and Music

This spring, I had the privilege of taking music theory lessons from Victoria Parrish. Parrish and I have been colleagues for several years, and after admiring her musical skill at open mic nights, when it came time to learn a new skill, I knew that I wanted to learn from the best --I wanted to learn music theory from Victoria Parrish. As an instructor, Victoria is competent in her craft, adaptable in the way she introduces information, and an accommodating listener as she refines your ability level from beginner to expert one conversation at a time.

Parrish is disciplined in maintaining a deep understanding for the subjects she teaches people on. Prior to our first lesson in music theory, I could tell that Victoria had thoroughly refreshed herself on elementary music instruction. Because of her expansive comprehension of music theory, and the complexities and nuances that came along with it, I was worried that her instruction might be too advanced for me, but because Parrish is so committed to understanding the needs of beginners, she was able to meet me where I was at in terms of skill level, and advance the conversations when appropriate. It was helpful to have an instructor that can draw back to the basics.

As a tutor, Victoria Parrish is versatile in the way she accommodates different learning styles with different forms of instruction. She attends her students with care, and is capable of a variety of teaching styles: visual, auditory, interpersonal, intra-personal, and more! She has found ways to accommodate my learning needs both in person and online effectively. Victoria is able to accomplish these changes through her ability to listen to her students without judgement. Parrish’s attention to detail and talent for constructive feedback enables her to mold students into confident experts by the conclusion of her lessons.

What is perhaps most inspiring about Parrish’s approach to teaching is that she puts lessons in conversation with subjects that her students are passionate about. For me, when I had a question about how to read music, she was able to compare music to a language I was more comfortable with: Algebra. This enabled me to comprehend the theory of music in a more meaningful way than I had ever been taught before. Whereas music teachers in the past would teach me and I would forget, I am confident that Victoria’s lessons will stay with me for years to come!

Victoria Parrish is competent, patient, and engaging as a person in general. For this reason, I believe Victoria will work as an astounding mentor to anyone that has the honor of learning from her.