Teaching Statement

MUSIC-MAKING

Music lives in experience, emotion, and expression. As a conductor and teacher, I seek to encourage an environment where music exists beyond the notes on the page, but comes to life through the expression of emotion rooted in experience that is unique to each person and composition. I approach music making with an intense desire to collaborate with musicians as we create an artistic product rooted in technical facility, expressive interpretations, and visceral energy. This is possible when musicians are able to freely contribute themselves and feel a part of the process.

TEACHING

Teaching involves creating a space where students feel safe, included, and welcome to grow, question, and be challenged. The culture of our classroom or ensemble is central to how students are able to learn and perform. I believe in the origin of the word “culture:” care. We must care about the students and their ability to learn, grow, teach, and perform. I believe in giving those students the tools for success, so that each lesson and assignment builds strength through strength, allowing them to reach their highest potential. When these pieces are in place, with support behind high expectations, the highest levels of musical achievement are possible.

PROGRAMMING

In programming for ensembles, I believe that our repertoire, curriculum, and experience work hand-in-hand to strongly influence the culture of our ensembles. Experience shapes our understanding and response to music and this encourages representation and diversity to flourish in our classrooms. Through the intersection of curriculum and experience, students are provided the space to perform with the greatest depth, understanding, and commitment possible – further strengthening performance through the honest commitment to learning and music-making. With these skills, students graduate as strong artist-citizens in the 21st century; well-prepared for a world of variety and change, and with the strength to communicate with and impact their future colleagues, audiences, students, and the world around them.

CONDUCTING

I believe that conducting should empower and not dictate. When teaching conducting, I seek for students to understand that their study and understanding of the music is essential before any gesture can be formulated. Equally, however, conductors should understand the people in the ensemble. We should be able to hear and respond to how our ensemble sounds, but understand why they sound that way – both musically and pedagogically. Conducting is more than having one idea of the music and correcting the musicians until they match your interpretation. Conducting is a facilitation of what the musicians are doing, your own studied interpretation, and allowing the space and providing the gesture that helps them to sound their best. I believe conducting is much more communicative than it is directive. When I teach conducting, I use this approach that encourages students to consider teaching and rehearsing in their conducting: how to sequence, prioritizing listening, understanding why something is happening. I view the conducting class as the application and physical expression of all the other musical study and ensemble experiences they’ve had to that point.