Teaching Statement

Humans are hardwired to need and desire music, and I believe that every person has the right to explore their own musical gifts and personalities. To study music is to study the self. We gain a better awareness of our bodies when we create music with grounded technique, and we gain a deeper acceptance of our emotions when we consider music's expressive nature. Furthermore, every struggle and setback that we encounter in our musical adventure is another opportunity to sharpen our fortitude in the face of life’s troubles.

In my studio, a thorough music education begins with respect for the student on the bench; the student cannot learn if they do not feel seen or cared for by the teacher. From the first lesson, I want them to know that they are an entire human being with a wide variety of interests that go beyond the scope of the music studio, and as our lessons progress, I want my students to learn how to integrate their musical interests into their academic, athletic, and social lives. This means that the student must come first, even before the music.

However, it is curiosity about music that brings students into my studio, and it is a love for music that encourages them to remain in lessons for a long time. From the first lesson, I equip students with the tools to produce beautiful, musical sounds; I want them to know that their bodies are capable of creating harmonious tones. Then I teach students the basics of music literacy, aural skills, and rhythmic integrity, and I ensure that each student has a comprehensive tool kit to learn whatever music they desire.

The advanced student is not necessarily the one who plays the most difficult music; rather, it is the student who needs the least assistance from me.  My desire for the advanced student is that they have the awareness to choose the music they wish to study, the tools they need to learn their repertoire, and the confidence to practice their music on their own. That way, the lesson can be a space to create personalized soundscapes instead of rote repetition of notes and rhythms.

Performance is an important element of my teaching curriculum. Humans are social creatures, and recitals give students an opportunity to share their private practice with our musical community. Placing students in a pressurized but safe environment allows them to see whether their level of preparation was sufficient for a public presentation. I teach students how to handle the rigors of presenting a body of work to an attentive audience of peers, loved ones, and strangers. Following a performance, I invite the student to reflect on their journey from first sight read to final bow; cultivating a habit of introspection allows students to assess what worked, what didn’t, and what adjustments they wish to make for future performances.

Failures and setbacks are not only expected but required for growth, so I invite failures into the studio as a harsh but necessary teacher. I believe that failures on stage and in practice make us better performers, but only if the student has a community to pick them up and place them on their feet. I seek to create an environment where a student feels safe to fail so that they may remain in community and grow from the experience. Teaching students to rebound from setbacks gives them lifelong values of resilience and joy.

Long after the student has their final piano lesson with me, I want them to have a deeper love and appreciation for the practice and performance of music. Students should leave my studio knowing what kind of music they enjoy hearing and what kind of music they love playing. The successful student will have the tools and curiosity to continue their musical adventure on their own, whether as an amateur pianist or a professional musician.

More importantly, however, the successful student will leave my studio with a comprehensive toolkit to break down and master any tough project they encounter. They will possess a strength of character that withstands setbacks with grace and humor. They will see how music is not just an accessory to their life; rather, they will see how music is the aural expression of their truest, most authentic selves.

Artist’s Statement

Humans are hardwired to have and express deep emotions; furthermore, humans are hardwired to need and enjoy music. Therefore, I believe that music exists to help humans connect with and authentically express their emotions.

When I approach my music, I seek to understand the emotional palette that the composer is working with. I consider their historical context and, to the best of my ability, the location of music within the composer’s personal arc. Then, I draw from my own well of triumphs and traumas to most authentically express the composer’s intentions via my own technical and affective abilities.

Music should not only comfort the audience; soundscapes can also inspire reflection that activates us to work for the world we want to live in. I’m searching for a truer sound, which may not always be the most beautiful. Harsh, unsettling sounds have their rightful place in our ears as much as beautiful timbres do, because abrasive tones can best express the harder realities of our souls.

I cannot separate my teaching profession from my life on stage, so I see every concert as an opportunity to educate the audience. I cherish performing lesser-known works by well-known composers, revealing that we may not completely understand everything these canonical creators have said. I also seek to champion lesser-performed composers, especially women composers, queer composers, and living composers.

My musical personality is informed by a wide variety of sources, from the longing of Brahms, the vitality of Mozart, the architecture of Bach, and the spiritual depth of Pärt. However, I believe that my love for the confrontational angst of punk, the ironic tone of ska, and the entrancing grooves of house gives me ears to hear the classical canon in a fresh light.

As a musician, I seek to give audiences a space to connect to their emotions, to learn something about the world around them, and to give them a means to live their most authentic lives.