Teaching Philosophy

 

I believe the purpose of music education is to make the students better musicians. Instead of teaching them the interpretation and make them play like me, I rather encourage open discussions with my students and help them to come up with their own ideas.

To begin to make music at a professional level, I help my students to look honestly at where they stand in their technical development and do the work necessary to resolve technical issues. My students learn to use their bodies naturally and in a relaxed way to develop technical consistency and style.  My goal is never to teach technique as an end in itself, but to always try to direct technical work towards a focus on musical excellence. Rather, technique is a tool to make great music. The skills involved in making a truly beautiful phrase are much more important (and difficult) than the ability to play loud and fast!  This doesn't mean that I don't teach practical technical skills, but that I want all my students to use those skills to make interesting and passionate music.

I provide my students with the mental and physical tools they will need in order to teach themselves for the rest of their musical lives.  During my time with a student, I have the ability to guide and mentor them by using demonstration, explanation, and the sharing of ideas and traditions. However, the majority of a student’s learning will take place during individual practice and study. Because of this, I make sure that my students know how to use their time efficiently and maximize the productivity of their practicing outside the lesson environment. By reinforcing the importance of musical integrity, attention to detail, and respect for the artistic product, my goal is for each student to be able to realize their potential, and consistently develop and improve essential skills in the future.

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