Statement of teaching philosophy. 

"When teaching, it is important to create a learning environment that is tangible: when I can sense the accelerated pace of a group discussion or of students’ enjoyment implementing newly acquired terminology.  I relish these triumphs and consciously reflect on the actions that created them so I can reconstruct this environment again.  My view of teaching is largely informed by the material at hand and from the personal successes and failures that I have had from previous teaching experience.

I believe that student oriented teaching encourages learning that is both focused and enduring.  As a teacher, it is my responsibility to know who my students are, the knowledge and skills they bring to a class, and what their educational goals are so that I can tailor my curriculum to meet their objectives, while leaving enough room to accommodate subject matter that emerges from group discussions.  By assessing the development of my pupils, with respect to our learning objectives, I can provide the structure they need to create connections between what the already know and what they are striving to understand.  I embrace case based and active learning teaching strategies because they encourage intellectual solidarity, argumentation, and problem solving while laying the groundwork for future collaborative practice.  It is also important for a teacher to demonstrate passion and curiosity about a given subject in order to impart that energy to their student.

I follow this philosophy throughout various levels of teaching and implement it in different ways, depending on the size and structure of a class.  Music technology courses lend themselves well to hands on methods with direct oversight, while larger taught classes, such as theory or orchestration, provide the environment for group interaction and discussion. Even large lectures or private tuition can benefit from these methods by thoughtful engagement with students and an energetic disposition. 

Regardless of the specific curriculum of any given class, my goal is to ignite my students with passion and create a learning environment that fosters acute experimentation and a persistent development of skills in the relevant music subject."