Christina Martinez has joined the Harris Arts Center as a piano instructor.

She credits her father for introducing piano at an early age.

“I started playing piano at age 4 in South Korea. My father bought me a keyboard, and I fell in love with music. My mother saw my talent and love for the piano and bought me a piano and signed me up for piano lessons.”

Martinez believes that children ideally should start piano at the age of five, but will accept a willing student at any age.

“An ideal piano student would be one that practices everyday for thirty minutes and completes theory homework every week. Also, a student needs to be teachable. They need to be able to take criticism and use it to make their playing better. Most importantly, a great piano student needs dedicated parents. Without parents who encourage their students to practice daily, a student most likely will not progress,” she said.

“My favorite thing about teaching piano is seeing my student’s progress. It’s so great to be able to see the joy on their faces when they are able to complete a challenging piece of music. That’s when I think my job is the most rewarding. I get to see the fruit of my labor every day.”

Martinez is a 2008 graduate of the University of South Florida with a B. A. in Music Studies. In 2009, she was employed at Berklee College of Music in Boston, executing student entrance auditions. While residing in Florida, Christina was a church pianist and youth coordinator. Martinez is bilingual in Korean and English. Currently, she teaches private lessons to students aged five to fifty.

Martinez’s major musical influences have been Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sergei Rachmaninoff whose musical energy inspires her. She also credits her teacher Dr. Sangee Lee with her current musical skills. Martinez plans to continue teaching and one day open her own studio where she can mentor classical pianists.

Martinez is now accepting new piano students. Those interested in piano lessons with Christina Martinez, please contact the HAC at 706-629-2599.