Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy centers around the idea that no two students are the same and each student comes to me with a different set of experiences and goals. These experiences will shape the way that the student approaches practicing, performing, and learning so my goal is to foster creativity and openness in my teaching so that I am able to meet students at their level, instead of having them conform to mine. Over the years, I have taught students of varying intentions when it comes to music- some wanted to become professional musicians and some simply wanted to retain music as a pastime. No matter where a student falls on this spectrum, I will tailor my teaching accordingly not only to accommodate for these goals but also to show how music can be an enriching form of expression that can teach us lessons about life and about ourselves.

Furthermore, I believe that each student needs to feel supported and uplifted throughout their music education. Music is first and foremost an art form that seeks to express a variety of ideas and emotions. Students cannot hope to be free to reach this level of expression without ample support, guidance, and a sense of confidence in their abilities. My goal is to instill this confidence by providing positive reinforcement, asking questions to encourage self-exploration, and providing students with a safe space in which to learn the intricacies of this art form.

My expectation of all students is to bring their personal best to every lesson or concert. For each student this will look slightly different, and I aim to meet them at this junction and inspire them to improve upon their personal best over time. I do this by encouraging students to be curious during their practice (instead of judgmental), ask questions, and allow themselves to make mistakes in order to learn something new. For me, progress is far more important than perfection.