Teacher Spotlight: Emily Murphy
Interview with Boston Yamaha Teacher Emily Murphy
Yamaha Music School Winter 2011 Newsletter
When she was in 10th grade, Emily Murphy’s great aunt Bumpy gave the Murphy family a very special gift: a grand piano. “That’s when I fell in love with the subtleties of classical music,” Emily says. “I loved playing piano more than I ever had before.” The youngest of five children, Emily was no stranger to music growing up. Her parents managed a concert series at Merrimac College, and she had plenty of exposure to world class musicians, including internationally-renowned pianist Van Cliburn. Sometimes, the musicians even came to her house for receptions! “The cultural part of my life was very present,” she says, “I grew up understanding that music was important.”
Looking back, Emily realizes how starting music education as early as ages three or four is a huge benefit of the Yamaha curriculum. “Seeing the students play in ensembles and develop their ears at a young age makes me wish I had started earlier, too,” she says. “I had private piano lessons, but I missed out on making music in a group.”
Now, she has a degree in collaborative piano and mostly plays in ensembles herself. She believes that everyone—kids and adults alike—can benefit from working together to make music. “In Keyboard Encounters (Yamaha’s keyboard class for adults), I really enjoy seeing these adult classes that have been together for a few years. They grow together as musicians, grow close to each other as people, and bring their friendship into the ensemble.”
As a Yamaha teacher, Emily also recognizes the advantages of the comprehensive music education program that Yamaha offers. Unlike traditional private piano lessons, students of Yamaha group classes can begin creating their own music as early as Junior Music Course 2. Emily’s adult students also get to be creative. “The advanced Keyboard Encounters class has been exploring jazz elements of improvisation and chord structure. They create accompaniment for melody lines similar to what the students do in JXC classes,” she says.
Ever since she started piano lessons at age seven, Emily loved music and never had to be 
asked to practice. She wanted to keep learning one song after the other, and got a sense of accomplishment when she finished a book. “In other words,” Emily says, laughing, “I was a dork.”
Her hard work paid off when, in high school, Emily had the opportunity to take private lessons from Marjorie Janove, the pianist for the Utah Symphony. Marjorie had huge hair and an even bigger personality. Her teaching style was loud and boisterous, and she was a key influence in Emily’s musical upbringing. “Marjorie taught me that music was more than notes and rhythm. From her, I learned that it was about putting yourself into it.” In addition to piano, Marjorie was passionate about baking. During Emily’s lessons, her teacher would run into the kitchen, then yell out “F sharp!” as she took an apple pie out of the oven.
As a teacher for Keyboard Encounters as well as the Yamaha Music Education System, Emily hopes to bring that same kind of inspiration to her own students. “I love it when I’m able to connect with a student on the level that they learn best,” she says, “whether that’s helping a younger student overcome physical limitations through strengthening their fingers, or watching an adult student finally ‘get’ something after they’ve been working at it for a while.”
In particular, she recalls an adult student whose goal was to play piano for his mother. Despite his parents’ wishes, he didn’t think music was important as a child. As an adult, he always loved music but wasn’t sure if it was something he could participate in. After learning to play in Keyboard Encounters, he called his mother and played for her over the phone. “I felt like a kid again,” he says, “I could just tell my mom was proud of me.” Emily is pleased that she can contribute to the musical experiences of adults and children alike, as well as play the piano for different events and when her family gets together. One of her brothers still plays now, so he and Emily play duets whenever they have a chance. In her time outside of YMS, Emily especially enjoys spending time with her family and sharing her love of music with them.
