My teaching philosophy revolves around simplifying each technical element of playing the clarinet down to the simplest building block. This approach provides the student with clear and manageable objectives ahead of practice sessions and minimizes inefficient practicing and frustration.

 

The student is guided through a journey of developing their fundamental skills, requiring daily perseverance and patience, and ultimately freeing their focus to process musical decision-making. The idea that I wish to inspire is that we are musicians first and clarinetists second. Mastery of the instrument allows us to express our musical ideas clearly, which I believe is a worthwhile endeavor! My responsibility as a teacher is to prepare and inspire students to whole-heartedly believe in that mindset, and to encourage them to be inquisitive and to seek out their own style and voice.

 

The basic principles of clarinet playing are taught through the use of method books, supplementary solo and duet books/works, and scale books, the selection of which is determined by the student's level. I strive to present each exercise, whether it's a scale or a long tone, as an opportunity to look for musical inflection, in addition to explaining its functional purpose. As the student becomes more advanced, standard repertoire as well as orchestral excerpts are used.

 

I am prepared to guide students through the process of acquiring the following skills:

 

-Proper Air Use - crucial for supporting all technique and for healthy tone production

-Articulation - varied styles and faster articulation

-Diatonic and Chromatic Literacy - the ability to read efficiently and recognize and work within all keys

-Efficient Finger Work - create a well-defined and efficient mechanical technique

-Tuning - cultivating stability of pitch as well as the freedom to shape color and quality of tone

-Sight-Reading - techniques for improving your ability to read and hear music you've never 

-Performance Training - developing a stage presence and confident mindset when approaching performances

-Informative Analysis - recognizing harmonic material that determines musical phrasing

-Audition Preparation

​

Each of these elements is a puzzle piece that anyone can develop given the right mindset. Every student will encounter different challenges, and I will meet them with a customized curriculum that supplements those particular areas. When a student advances these skills, it allows them to introduce more of their personality and voice into performances.

​

How exactly is my approach different?

• You, the student, will receive weekly lessons and a customized curriculum tailored to your specific needs and areas needing improvement.

• Daily “office hours”. I encourage my students to contact me with questions whenever they are practicing and need guidance. Students who take advantage of this improve significantly faster and get more out of their weekly lessons as a result.

• Included instrument maintenance. I believe that having equipment that works is crucial to student progress and eliminates unnecessary frustration and confusion. My students have the option of bringing their instruments to me to have work completed on them. I have the tooling and practice to replace corks, pads, springs, silence keys and more. (Cracked instrument repairs excluded.)

• I am well-equipped to teach via online platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of you may be rightfully hesitant to take lessons in person during this time. However, a quality audio-video setup makes communicating and learning a breeze. Thankfully, in this day and age, this equipment is affordable and readily available, and I will guide you on what you will be needing.