Charles Turon, Ph.D.
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Educational Background
Teaching Experience I have been teaching piano for forty years, with over thirty-five years of experience at the college level. I retired from the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota in 2016 at the rank of full professor. At SCF I taught piano lessons at all levels, Class Piano, freshman and sophomore level Music Theory/Ear Training, Music Appreciation, and Music History and Literature. I also served as staff accompanist and held several administrative positions, including Music Program Manager, Chair of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies and Music Theory. Piano students have won competitions at the local, district, and state level, including the Florida State College Activities Association Young Artist Scholarship Award, the District Concerto competition of the Florida State Music Teachers Association, and the Steinway Society of Sarasota Scholarship Award. Former students have successfully transferred to such schools as
Professional Affiliations and Positions I have been an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and the National Federation of Music Clubs, and Florida State Music Teachers Association throughout my career. Offices held include
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Professional Affiliations
Florida State Music
Teachers Association 
National Federation of Music Clubs
Florida State Certified
Teacher of Music |
Teaching Philosophy
Experiencing music is part of what it means to be human. The act of making music uses our mind, our body, our emotions, our spirit. Sharing music allows us to make connections that go deeper than words. Music helps to create wholeness that few other experiences can.
It has been my privilege to help many students develop skills which have helped them deepen their experience of music through the piano. Some of these students have been younger, some older. Many have pursued music as a career; most have not. Ultimately, all that matters is that they have progressed in their ability to make music, and as a result have enriched their experience as human beings. This process has not only been a privilege—it has been a true joy!
It is easy to state the goals I have for piano students:
“Learning how to learn” means progressing along the pathway of becoming an independent learner. A teacher typically only sees a student once a week, and even then for a relatively limited amount of time. If a teacher can help the student learn how to practice intelligently and effectively, the student learns how to listen to their own inner teacher—the one they will have for life.
“Learning how to play the piano” has to do with skill development. Since making music involves using the body, the ears, the mind, the emotions, and the spirit, it is easy to get out of balance and only focus on one part of the equation. I believe that while each part warrants its own sphere of undivided attention, learning to play the piano eventually combines all of these separate components into one whole.
Experiencing music is part of what it means to be human. The act of making music uses our mind, our body, our emotions, our spirit. Sharing music allows us to make connections that go deeper than words. Music helps to create wholeness that few other experiences can.
It has been my privilege to help many students develop skills which have helped them deepen their experience of music through the piano. Some of these students have been younger, some older. Many have pursued music as a career; most have not. Ultimately, all that matters is that they have progressed in their ability to make music, and as a result have enriched their experience as human beings. This process has not only been a privilege—it has been a true joy!
It is easy to state the goals I have for piano students:
- to learn how to learn music, and
- to learn how to play the piano . . . but what exactly does that mean?
“Learning how to learn” means progressing along the pathway of becoming an independent learner. A teacher typically only sees a student once a week, and even then for a relatively limited amount of time. If a teacher can help the student learn how to practice intelligently and effectively, the student learns how to listen to their own inner teacher—the one they will have for life.
“Learning how to play the piano” has to do with skill development. Since making music involves using the body, the ears, the mind, the emotions, and the spirit, it is easy to get out of balance and only focus on one part of the equation. I believe that while each part warrants its own sphere of undivided attention, learning to play the piano eventually combines all of these separate components into one whole.