Educational Philosophy

I believe that my classroom is a place for students to learn through collaboration, and through collaboration, grow their relationships with other students. There is a place for everyone in band; I believe the melting pot of personalities helps to create a strong ensemble that feels like family. The ability to work with someone that is very different from you is something that is incredibly valuable to a person throughout their entire life, and I believe that band is one of the best places to cultivate that skill.

The first thing I strive for in the classroom is a positive experience. Music is meant to be fun, and I think that playing it should be just as fun. The biggest part of that is finding the balance between challenge and reward. If music is too easy, it becomes boring too fast. If it is too difficult, it leads to frustration and anger, which isn’t healthy to the student or the group. I provide the students with music that is tough, but fair to their level of experience. The second thing is a mentality of hard work. Music is hard, and that is something that only changes with practice. I give the students the tools they need to be able to accomplish their musical goals, and help them to build themselves up to that point. The third thing is building a group that is filled with leaders. Students will be able to help each other with their problems, both musically and personally. I like to use small group exercises led by students to give them a chance to 1) fix problems you wouldn’t hear in a big rehearsal, but more importantly 2) give each student a chance to lead a comfortably sized group in a rehearsal, which gives them practice in leading others by example.

I have learned through many years in many groups that band is a great place to teach valuable life lessons while having a great time and making lifelong friends. My job is to foster that environment, and give students the tools they need to be successful in any situation they encounter. By building those relationships, the band grows, and is able to perform more and greater services to the community, fulfilling its greatest function.