As a music educator I have the luxury of working with students for long periods of time and often in one-on-one lessons, my philosophy to teaching is one that uses an individualized and fundamentally-based approach as a means for student growth. To do this, I strive for weekly meetings that focus on centering students; students are not one-size fits all, and each comes with a different set of life experiences and weekly stresses. It’s important to me to get to know my students as individuals and to help develop their independence as students, musicians, and young adults through engaged and open dialogue during every meeting with genuine questions of, “how are you this week?” 

 

It is my goal for students to gain independence and to thrive outside of our weekly meetings and I believe in asking guided questions and encouraging curiosity for the larger musical picture instead of giving them the answers. Examples of this include exposing students to a wide variety of repertoire, asking students to research the repertoire they’re playing, who it might have been written for, assigning projects that delve into history and performance practice in order to gain contextual knowledge, and attending performances beyond the scope of flute recitals.

 

I strive to further cultivate a solid foundation for future independence by implementing weekly assignments that take into account the students’ and my own personal goals, with targeted ways in which to see improvement and progress. I am thorough and transparent with making assignments in order for students to understand why I’m asking them to do something, how it applies to everything else they might be doing in their lessons, ensembles, and other courses, and my expectations for where the assignment should be for the next lesson. I believe this transparency enables students to develop a consistent work ethic, a diversity of exercises and approaches to issues, and to garner tools for their musical tool belt in order to reach a point of no longer needing me. 

 

I feel strongly that a solid fundamental foundation in body awareness, air usage, and musical understanding is key to successful music making. Through my own time as a student and through working with students of all ages, I have found that overlapping different areas of fundamentals produces the most efficient practicing and improvement. As a result, I am always seeking creative ways to combine exercises and overlap concepts for more targeted and engaged improvement. For example, I am constantly challenging my students to play beyond what is on the page and experiment with phrasing within scale exercises, or add articulation variations to slurred exercises. 

 

I value cultivating relationships with each of my students’ and strive to be a positive impact in their lives outside of weekly flute lessons. At the core of every decision I make is my desire to be a positive mentor in my students’ lives, encouraging them to be creative and resourceful when chasing their dreams, to foster a healthy learning environment through open communication and a healthy relationship, and to provide a fundamentals-based approach to all music making.

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Lessons

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Lessons are offered in half-hour and full-hour increments. 

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If you are unsure you can travel to and from lessons, Skype lessons are an option! You would simply need a working computer with reliable internet access, a Skype account, and a PayPal account. 

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Please use the contact form for pricing information and any further questions. 

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