I have been very fortunate to have worked with extraordinary teachers. My early teachers, Dean Bachus and Tanya Carey, stressed fundamentals and made learning fun. I subsequently worked with Ron Leonard as an undergraduate at Colburn and Ralph Kirshbaum during my graduate studies at the University of Southern California. All of these individuals greatly influenced my teaching philosophy. In addition, I have had considerable teaching experience. During my undergraduate years at Colburn, I taught students through the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) mentoring program and the Colburn Teaching Fellowship. During my graduate studies, I continued teaching both adults and children. I am on the faculty of the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts and I maintain an active private studio.
I have two major objectives in approaching an individual student. First, I personalize my teaching style to fit the student’s needs and learning style. Second, I strive to create a learning environment in which the student has fun while achieving their goals. To accomplish these goals, I use strategies to develop both technical skills and artistry. I guide my students to become experts at practicing by actively teaching them healthy approaches to practice and encouraging them to look for their own creative solutions. Specifically, I emphasize breaking down problems into small, manageable components, creating a clear path to improvement. I encourage my students to become comfortable expressing their musical opinions to foster their artistic development.
I enjoy teaching students of all ages and levels and I am experienced with remote teaching using a variety of platforms.