My teaching philosophy stems first from my own childhood. Because the truth is that I was singing and playing anything I could get my hands on from the time I was tiny. In the process, my parents took me very seriously. So these days I respect the power parents have to foster their children’s musical lives.
What’s more, I’ve heard so many poignant stories from old and new friends over the years: If someone had just supported my interest, or if my teacher or parents had listened to what I wanted to learn…
If someone had just supported my interest…
If my teacher or parents had listened to what I wanted to learn…
These stories and my fundamental passion for music-making inform my approach. Because I use the musical interests of my students to move them forward.
And very importantly, I have three grown artist sons, including two touring musicians. They had a big impact on my teaching philosophy. The fact is that I learned from them to respect every student’s vision for their musical self-expression and goals. Now my students and I explore all that together as we make music and learn its universal language.
