


Given the seeming upheaval of the music world, VM’s founder, Justine Popik, felt inspired to create an innovative approach to music education and private instruction and connect with students who experienced a loss of their in school music opportunities or longed for a more nourishing experience. Virtual Musicality is the first fully virtual music education experience, offering private lessons, audition coaching, and music enrichment courses to students of all ages and abilities. VM provides a unique learning opportunity for students across the country to experience music in a way that excites them and centers around a curriculum unique to their interests. Virtual Musicality was founded in Spring 2020, as a resource for musicians to access music education during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am committed to sharing my passion for music and learning, as well as my related experiences, to provide students with the tools necessary to excel and achieve their greatest potential, while establishing a broader appreciation and understanding of music. Musicality is your communication personawho you are. Musicality is created by words and phrasing, by the flow of your writing melody, by a combination of sentences. Every piece of writing has a rhythm and its own particular beat. By providing students with a curriculum that caters to their individual needs, it is my hope that students develop a greater respect for themselves, their peers, their instructors, and their world. Musicality is a chosen pattern of words you consciously place in your writing. The foundation of my teaching method is respect for my students and for learning. By fostering an environment that allows students to make mistakes, ask questions, and work together, I hope to create a sense of intrinsic motivation that spreads beyond the music world and into each student’s individual life path. I want to guide students in a way that they are encouraged to discover answers on their own, rather than act as a crutch to carry students along. My goal as an educator is to allow students to realize their true abilities and work to their greatest potential. Students should feel welcome to share ideas and experiences in a respectful and thought provoking way and not be afraid to ask for help when they need it. In my classroom, I promote a positive and encouraging learning environment where students feel invited to challenge themselves to discover new concepts and ideas, while working together to create something beyond their individual selves. I believe that every student should enter an educational environment that is safe and facilitates learning through their own unique learning style.
