I believe that every person should have the opportunity to learn music. Music has been an important force in my life and it is my goal to help my students find a similar force for them. Below are some of my main philosophies on teaching music:

• Participation in music should influence the whole individual (intellectually, emotionally, academically, musically, spiritually). Because of this, I believe my role as a music teacher is to craft instruction tailored to the individual students and his or her insterests. I also want to teach students the many aspects of music including techinque, music reading, writing, listening, understanding.

• Learning music is about growth, not perfection. Learning to play music teaches us dedication and determination. When students first pick up a new instrument, they start without skill or technique. Yet, with a little determination and consistent dedication we are able to do grow in technical ability, musicality and as individuals. Music is one of the few disciplines I have found where improvement is directly correlated to the amount of time you spend practicing. Studying music helps us develop work ethic, focus, drive; it teaches us the the importance of setting and accomplishing goals, of forgiving failure and trying again, and how to develop personal expression. These are all skills that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

• Music should be fun! At the end of the day, music is about expression and connecting with others around us. Practicing technique through exercises and scales is important, but I also reguarly arrange or find music that my students want to play. I also believe that challenge can be rewarding. Finding enjoyment in doing something difficult, mastering something that you couldn’t do before, is rewarding in itself. I want to give these two types of “fun” to my students: something they truly wanted to play, and something they are working towards.