Teaching style:  patient, positive, persistent.

I have been teaching music since 1972. I have taught and coached individuals, ensembles, college classes, beginners through advanced players, children through adults. I have taught violin, viola, piano, organ, theory, sight singing/ear training. 

I use charts and stickers to organize at home practice and to make progress visible. Each lesson has a follow up email with a summary of what was done and what the next steps for learning are.

VIOLIN is my main instrument. I teach from  a syllabus of progressive levels, developed over years, [and constantly being revised] which includes right hand and left hand skills, scales and etudes, repertoire, and general music theory and literacy. 

However since each person is unique, the course of study is flexible and will be customized to fit that individual’s interests, goals, and capabilities.

 After working through the Syllabus, the focus changes to maintaining skills. I have developed two systems. They each take only about 15-20 minutes/day. The Comprehensive Technique Maintenance Manual has been developed over decades. It includes materials from other similar systems, but is, I believe, more comprehensive, concise, and less boring than any of those others. To achieve those goals however, requires a charting a fairly complex routine of rotating skills. So I’ve also developed a condensed travel version, slightly less comprehensive, but simpler and not requiring any charts or etude /scale book excerpts to carry around.

I play VIOLA and teach it, but only at lower levels, mostly to violinists who want to add, or transition to,  viola. 

I actually think PIANO should be basic education for everyone!  For musicians it is the foundation-teaching the basics of music that can then transfer to any other instrument. Theory, harmony, note reading, intervals, clefs, intonation, rhythm are all more readily understood using a keyboard. It is also perhaps the most immediately rewarding of musical instruments to learn. I teach beginning and intermediate level piano. I supplement a method book with instruction in theory, scales, and technique.

I teach ORGAN to people who want to transfer piano skills quickly to the organ. There is a misperception that if you play piano, you can easily convert to playing organ. Actually there are a host of difficulties to navigate and new skills to acquire. For more information on this, please see the arranger page on this website.

COACHING AND SECTIONALS: After decades of playing professionally in 3 major symphonies, I know the symphonic repertoire, and have an extensive collection of parts for reference. I have extensive experience coaching individuals and sectionals. I know how to learn parts quickly and efficiently, plus tips and tricks for specific pieces.