Teaching Philosophy

 I approach teaching as a partnership. I, as the teacher, provide feedback and offer a toolbox of skills, exercises, and adjustments that you, the student, can take with you for a lifetime of practice. I believe in a pragmatic approach. We all know what great horn playing sounds like, but there are many different ways to get to the same outcome. In every lesson, we will investigate ways that can make your playing better. You will learn the fundamentals and we will explore tried and true techniques and exercises. We will also experiment, take risks, and find what works best for you. You will learn how to listen critically and productively. You will learn what adjustments might help you create the sound you want. In our lessons we will:

1. Examine the technical elements, making sure you are using your air,  embouchure, and tongue efficiently. We will work to eliminate excessive movement and muscle usage. You will learn to lip trill invisibly, play high soft, and low loud, just to name a few.

2. Make music.  This is why we do what we do. We love the horn because of its incredible color and sound range. You will learn how to take advantage of the horn’s wide spectrum of sound and phrase with natural, singing lines.

3. Teach yourself. My pragmatic approach teaches you how to teach yourself. I keep my thought process transparent so that you can learn how to problem-solve. I want you to create your own toolbox of adjustments and skills that you can have at the ready for years to come.