David W
Instruments: Clarinet
Styles: Classical, Avant-garde
David W
Instruments: Clarinet
Styles:
Classical, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
DMA, University of Arizona, Clarinet Performance MM, Peabody Conservatory, Computer Music B.Mus, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, Clarinet Performance
2014 - Outstanding Mentor Award, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
2012 - Featured performe/soloist, Society for Electroacoustic Music in the US
2010 - Featured Performer/soloist, International Computer Music Conference, NYC
2007 - Solo recitalist/orchestra co-principal clarinet, Endless Mountains Music Festival
2006 - festival performances in Minneapolis, Pennsylvania, and Edinburgh, Scotland
I am a dedicated and patient instructor with many years teaching experience in many different settings. For the past ten years I was professor of clarinet and music technology at Mansfield University in rural northern Pennsylvania. I have recently returned to my hometown of Chicago for family reasons and I'm looking forward to teaching private students again. I completed my doctorate in clarinet perfomance at the University of Arizona, working with Jerry Kirkbride (Dorian Wind Quintet), in 2004. I have performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and with orchestras throughout the United States.
I have been teaching formally for the past 17 years in university, high school, and community music school settings. I have taught students at all levels of ability from highly diverse cultural backgrounds. The most exciting moment for me is when a student catches on to a new concept and overcomes a fear or limitation. I try to incorporate each student's outside interests into the study of music, relating everything from computer science, history, skateboarding, you-name-it to the practice of music. I have taught not only clarinet over the years, but also music technology, multimedia, and general music. There is not a subject I find boring, and I try to instill that love of learning in my students as well.
As a teacher, I am most interested in helping students develop solid fundamental technique while discovering the joy of playing and mastering an instrument. I am very flexible in the use of method books, prefering to discover the individual needs of my students and tailoring instruction and materials to each individual. My teaching stresses the fundamental operation of the instrument (use of air, embouchure, posture, and hand placement) in order to unlock the student's full potential. I am very patient and willing to try many solutions to fundamental challenges. I am committed to helping students master fundamental technique (scales, etc) through traditional method books, but I also incorporate repertoire as much as possible based on the interests of the student. Overall, I try to keep the approach to the clarinet relaxed and fun!
I am patient, friendly, and always looking for ways to spark a student's passion for music and interest in the clarinet as a vehicle. I try to find something the student does well and build on it. For beginning students, I try to find simple exercises that build on previous successes. For more advanced students, I try to find new challenges and help build consistency and flexibility through a combination of basic technical exercises, challenging repertoire, exploration of new styles, and improvisation.
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