Teaching Philosophy

My ultimate goal in lessons is to provide dedicated students at any age or skill level with effective teaching and learning strategies they can implement on their own. Ideally, the student reaches a level where they do not need me anymore. This is done through an approach that emphasizes technical proficiency while integrating musical expression and scholarly understanding. I believe any enthusiastic student who is willing to dedicate their time and effort to growth should have access to private lessons.

Every great musician knows the same basic fundamentals. This knowledge is developed through daily use of a warm-up packet before practicing repertoire. Students are encouraged to learn and memorize this packet which covers the basics, then begin modifying and adding to it to address their technical needs as a performer.

Students learn to think critically about their playing and adjust their daily warm up to both the demands of the day and the growth they want to see long term. The idea behind the warm up is to see how fast, high, clean, and effortlessly we can play the building blocks of music. It is to see how far we can go. Technical mastery permits musical freedom. Only after a student has the proper fundamentals in place are they completely free to implement musical decisions.

If the student puts time and effort into weekly practice they will get better. We spend time together at the beginning of each lesson on fundamentals to center ourselves before delving into repertoire. Repertoire is chosen with musical growth in mind. We work together toward the student’s success. I provide students the tools they need to learn the piece fundamentally so they have the freedom to experiment musically.

Especially for new students, time will be spent in each lesson discussing practice strategies. Regular, intentional practice is expected, and there should always be an emphasis on consistency. We develop long-term goals and intermediary benchmarks in lessons to make progress together.