About
With twenty years of experience as both a music educator as well as a professional musician- my top priority has always been to make music universally fun and accessible for everybody.
As individuals, we as humans all connect to music in different ways. Throughout my teaching experience, I have catered and adapted to the needs of all students to ensure that everybody has the best music experience possible.
During my ten year tenure as a band director in Tolland- my band program was a prescribed recommendation for students who experienced difficulties in more traditional academic settings. For these students- learning an instrument provided them with confidence, creativity, enjoyment.
The vast selection of music repertoire that I incorporate in my classes is adventurous, diverse, and fun. Jazz, rock, blues, New Orleans second-line march, reggae, classical, gamelan, and much more music genres are incorporated in my class.
Many of my students have gone on to continue in the field of music. It brings joy to see that some of my former students are fellow musicians and educators. It brings even more joy to see when my students are genuinely enjoying music. The concepts of fun accessibility go a long way!
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
With any and every new student, I begin with two sets of questions. The first question series is:
What do you like to listen to? (As in- anything, any music at all)
Have you played before? How long? What did you enjoy most about it?
The second question series is:
What type of instrument and equipment do you currently have? Is it working well for you?
For beginners, I proceed to go over all of the parts of the instrument as well as the items of equipment which go along with the instrument.
For intermediate and advanced students, I listen to them perform a piece they are familiar with, and I double-check to make sure that their instrument is in working order.
Then- we proceed from there.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
My twenty years of experience speaks for itself. Teaching, performing, recording, listening. Music hasn’t just been integral to my life- it literally IS my life. Additionally- I taught at public school in Tolland, CT, as a band director for ten years.
As far as education, I have a Bachelor of Music in Education from the Hartt School of Music (2003, Magna Cum Laude), and post-bachelors classes and credits at Central Connecticut State University (2006-2008).
I generally play a minimum of 100 shows a year (many times this includes travel), and teach a minimum of seven one-hour long lessons each week.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge 60 dollars for a one-hour lesson. This is for either remote lessons or for lessons at my home music studio. There is a small additional commuting fee.
Payments can be made for each lesson. Or- as many students prefer- I send invoices every two weeks.
How did you get started teaching?
I notice that many folks say that they knew right away that they knew music was for them. That was not the case for me. While I previously mentioned that music is my life- I have always had many other interests (and still do). I loved playing sports when I was younger and there was a period of four years when I was on both the baseball team and… the math team!
Nonetheless- it was music that was constantly on my mind 24/7. I always had a song in my head and I still do to this day. While in school, I came to the realization that music was my favorite way to express myself. I also liked the fact that it is a very social art form. I found it fascinating that vast array of requirements for music being that of individual practice, group practice, performance, and networking. There’s nothing like music!
So I decided to take my talents* to the Hartt School of Music to study not only music but specifically- music education. (*Lebron James, anybody?)
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with students of all ages and skill levels (including adult students).
That being said- my greatest skill as a teacher is the art of teaching students who struggle in school. While at my tenure as a teacher in Tolland, I worked with the principal of the school to establish band class as a safe space for students with learning disabilities and/or behavioral needs.
I have always considered myself to be a rebel, a maverick. This has allowed me to relate to students who may have difficulty in academics (as I did) for one reason or another. And the great thing is that music, in turn, helps these students improve in other areas too.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Everyone has a style. That goes for both the student and the teacher. My advice would be for the student to think a little bit about what their style is. Once that is established, then the student can match that style with the teacher’s style.
For beginning students, style can be something as simple as “funny,” maybe even “I want to be the greatest musician in the world,” or even something along the lines of “I don’t even like music at all, so my teacher better be really animated and talk fast.”
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
This would be the same as the questions I mentioned before. Along with some new questions. The previous questions and the additional questions are as follows (from the point of view of the student):
Series 1:
What do I like to listen to? (As in- anything, any music at all)
Have I played before? How long? What did I enjoy most about it?
Series 2:
What type of instrument and equipment do I currently have? Is it working well?
Series 3:
What am I looking to do in the next few months? Do I want to practice 27 hours a day or am I looking more just to enjoy it for now, and to practice when I am inspired to do so?