My teaching philosophy

My students

I've had the pleasure of teaching amateurs who just wanted to improve their enjoyment of playing, beginners who needed a good start, and young adults who needed help preparing for college, graduate school, and professional work in music. I’ve taught flutists to play classical music, pop music, Broadway show tunes, and jazz. Whatever you want to play, you can play it better and enjoy it more if you know how you want to interpret it and have the efficient posture and movement that lets you interpret it the way you envision. I'll work with you to help you achieve your goals and have fun doing it!

First of all - for beginners

A good flute teacher is very important for beginners. I can teach you how to hold and play the instrument with the best possible posture and movement for you, so that you have a solid foundation you can build on. Flute playing is challenging, but I can make it a lot easier and more satisfying for you, because if you study with me, you will develop good habits, which is a lot easier than unlearning bad habits.

Why play music?

People play music for many reasons, but I think the most important reasons are sheer enjoyment and in order to communicate with an audience through music. A performer's musical communication with the audience is called interpretation. With a good interpretation, music can be brought to life and audiences can be amused, pleased, and moved.

An effective flute teaching method

I have a teaching method that works. My method is geared toward enabling you to project your interpretation as clearly as possible. But if you are a beginner, just learning how to hold the flute, blow into it, and finger different notes, you are not yet ready to interpret. So before you can become a pleasing, inspiring, and moving interpreter, you need to develop and maintain a fluid technique. Regardless of what level you are at, when you see me for a lesson, I will listen and observe you and diagnose the causes of whatever technical issues I see and hear in your playing. The type and cause of the problem determines the solution – generally a combination of specific and sometimes quite small changes in your posture and movement on the one hand and practice methods that will reinforce those changes on the other. Many problems can be diagnosed and solved right away, though the solution still must be reinforced through practicing and in other lessons. Other problems may take a little longer to solve, but I have yet to come across any playing-related problem for which I was unable to find a good solution.

The Alexander Technique

Since no two people are alike, I do not use a one-size-fits-all method. Instead, I tailor my instructions to you. My flute-technique method is based in part upon years of intimate familiarity with the Alexander Technique, an approach to body-awareness that has proven its effectiveness for more than 100 years.

Learning how to interpret

I will also help you to develop a unique and convincing style of interpretation. I can offer many suggestions, because of my many years of performing, listening, study, and research. Also, I will play for you whenever a demonstration is helpful. I want you to really know what you are doing when you play, so that your musical choices are intentional - your interpretation will be more convincing if you really mean what you are playing, so to speak!

Interpretive questions

One example of a type of question I may ask you in a lesson is for you to explain how you are thinking about a series of sequences, or which note is your goal tone (that is, the most important note) in a particular phrase and why. My aim isn’t for you to copy my interpretations, but for you to understand the music and yourself as a musician more deeply and project that understanding more clearly to the audience. I can help you to realize your own interpretations as well as possible.