Teaching Philosophy

After more than a decade of teaching students of all ages and abilities, my approach to musical pedagogy is built on the following principles:

• Every student is unique, and starts at a different musical and technical level; as a result, I will take some time early on in the first lesson or two to determine the student’s level and own needs and tailor teaching accordingly.

• It’s important for musicians of all levels, but especially beginners, to build a strong foundation of fundamental skills, including posture (to prevent future injuries), embouchure, breathing, and sound production, among others.

• We will also focus on achieving musical and developmental goals, including learning to tell stories through the music we make and learning to focus and verbally communicate thoughts about the music.

• I believe that all students, regardless of where they are in their development as musicians, stand to benefit greatly from performing in public, including in recitals and competitions; these opportunities not only provide important opportunities to hone practice and preparation, but instill in young musicians a sense of confidence and achievement. Performing for a supportive group of friends and peers also happens to be a lot of fun!

• And finally, it’s important to me that every one of my students enjoys playing the flute and making music. While hard work and dedication is required to acquire greater technical skill and more sophisticated musicianship, with greater skill comes the ability to play music of the masters - Bach, Mozart, and others - and to express emotions through music that simply cannot be put in words!

• Since reading through all of this likely has inspired some questions, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information about things like how to select your instrument, how long your lesson should be, and how you should be involved in your child’s studies.