As an artist and educator, I prioritize shared experiences in an open, safe environment for my students, as it is critical to the value and integrity of arts education. I do not separate my own musical practice from my process as an educator; both require dedication to exploration and review. To teach is to learn and my passion to teach is fueled by my love for music. 

Each student’s learning program will be uniquely tailored depending on their level of proficiency and experience. I believe it is imperative for students to understand not just when or why to practice, but HOW to practice, as much of our progression as musicians occurs during our own practice time; therefore I structure our classes exactly as a student should practice. Lessons will generally be broken into three parts:

• Warm up exercises designed to develop technical skill. 

• Music studies - this may involve reading music or general music theory. 

• Working on a full piece of music. This could be a song or tune that the students bring in or one that I recommend for them. 

One of my main focuses with the development of any instrument is improvisation. I use easy, fun exercises to ensure my students feel comfortable creating from the beginning. Wynton Marsalis said that improvisation “teaches self acceptance and personal pride through developing your own unique sound, which teaches our kids how to identify and investigate their emotional identity through truthful self analysis“.