“So this is why I teach music. I do not expect you to major in music. I do not expect you to play or sing for all of your life. I teach because. So you can be human. I teach so that you can be sensitive….”
Naperville piano teacher learning the piano at a young age
That’s part of a poem Naperville resident Jue He has on her website, as a reminder of why she’s been teaching piano since the age of 15.
She began playing the instrument herself back in China at the age of 3, when her grandfather gifted her a piano. Being tapped to teach while attending a conservatory as a teenager, she started to realize she had a passion for instructing others.
“I always loved the fact that seeing a result from what the student is able to do after we have a lesson, and I love the fact that they can play pieces after I work with them for a few weeks,” said He.
Broadening her musical abilities throughout her career
Once she came to the United States, she received a master’s and doctoral degree in collaborative piano from Northwestern University, as her musical outlook broadened.
” I started to have a better idea of what music should sound like from different eras. And most importantly, that was the first time I get to play with other instruments. And for me that is almost amazing because I never knew when two person are together, you can make the music amplify, you can make the music so much richer than when you are able to do it on your own,” said He.
She’s now a member of the piano faculty at Benedictine University, and also teaches piano to local students out of her own studio.
Inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame
In doing so, she works closely with Hinsdale Steinway, where she holds many recitals. Thanks to their nomination, she was recently inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame.
“I’m very surprised and grateful and greatly honored. It is a lifetime achievement, but at the same time, I’m I feel highly humbled because I know there are so many good teachers out there. And I just think it’s a lifelong experience for me that I want to just be better at teaching,” said He.
He traveled to the Steinway factory in New York City for the induction ceremony, where she met other teachers who share her passion for music instruction.
“My philosophy is I do not give up on students. So that’s why most of my students that started with me very young and they usually are able to go through to high school,” said He.
Her goal for her students is reflected in the words on her website.
“I teach, so you will have something to cling to. I teach so you can improve. I teach so you will have more life. That really speaks to my heart,” said He.
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