Meet the Teachers

I have had incredible teachers in my music education. I find their influences in nearly every lesson I teach; from different ways to practice a passage or particular fingering patterns, to the simple interaction with students. Their teaching left indelible marks on how I teach and who I am as a person. When my students take their final step off the PTS campus, I only hope that I have provided them with a similar experience, as well as an unending appreciation and love for music and the arts.

For me, the start of learning is in the questions. Using the guitar, my students and I ask those questions that get to the heart of how music works. Music is a magical event, whether you are playing by yourself or at a stadium concert. My goal is to guide students through this journey of being able to read sheet music, to play, and to listen more deeply, so that music becomes a more complete experience for them. Eventually, my students will be able to guide their own learning and have the guitar as their instrument to enjoy for the rest of their life.

My finest music teachers were firm, jovial taskmasters. I have remembered them for all these years and have always tried to emulate those characteristics in my teaching. Without question, repetition and memorization are important, but if the students don’t have any fun, the “magic” is lost. I also make myself available to them, both as a group and individually. They know I care deeply for them and their musical achievements. I prefer to choose inspiration over intimidation and they are encouraged to perform from their hearts. It has worked well for me for the twenty-five years I have been teaching.

Being a band director I have the opportunity to teach kids about teamwork through music performance. Each member of our team has a specific job in order for the final project to come together. As the students advance in the program, we learn how to communicate through music. We explore many styles of music with a goal of giving the best performance we can give. A world without music would be boring!