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Bachelor Degree: Arizona State University
I am an experienced and music-certified teacher of 7 years specializing in woodwind instruments. All ages/ability levels welcome! My students will learn how to develop effective practice routines, learn how to read music and play songs by ear, and establish a strong foundation of technique and music theory so you can start playing your favorite songs AND sound great while doing so! I am flexible with scheduling and locations, and can either travel to you or meet with students in my own personal studio.
I received my Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Arizona State University in 2019 where I studied with Dr. Christopher Creviston, world-renowned soloist and soprano saxophone chair of the Capitol Quartet. Throughout my collegiate studies, I performed with a variety of groups at ASU including the Jazz Repertory Band, the Wind Ensemble, and the Virtus Quartet, in addition to performing with Breakthrough Indoor at the 2016 WGI World Championships and with the ASU Saxophone Choir at the 2020 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. Since 2015, I've been an avid teacher in the marching arts scene in Arizona and have worked with the band programs at Carl Hayden High School, Corona del Sol High School, Chandler High School, Ingleside Middle School, and Akimel Middle School. Currently, I am the Director of Bands at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, I Program Director at Phoenix Union Indoor, where I was a founding staff member in 2016.
I custom-tailor my lesson plans for each individual student based on a variety of factors such as prior playing experience (if applicable), student's desired goals and outcomes, student availability, etc. A typical first lesson with me will be spent going over what goals you want to achieve and how I can best serve you in reaching those goals by working with you to develop an effective plan of practice. In addition, I will share the knowledge and expertise I have gathered from my teachers and my own musical career to ensure that you have all of the tools and resources you need to start seeing the results you want.
Simply put, my goal is to make sure that a quality music education is accessible to all students, regardless of their background, demographic, or socioeconomic status. Without a doubt, music is one of the most rigorous subjects you could study, but it is also one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences a student will ever encounter in their lifetime. My role as a music educator is to guide students to better themselves - both as musicians and as people - in order to allow music to enrich their lives. Students will learn lessons of cooperation, patience, perseverance, creativity, time management, and hard work, all of which are virtues that make for a great member of society. Yet, while these are all valuable and are certainly applicable in several different aspects of life, music is worth studying simply for the sake of music. Music is great because it is music. It is something that is enjoyable in and of itself, and something that connects many different people from several different backgrounds. Music education creates students that leave the classroom with an appreciation for music, creating an environment where students not only want to enjoy music, but also have the desire to create and the passion to educate others through music. This becomes increasingly difficult to achieve, however, when music education is often not even remotely accessible. It is an unfortunate reality that music is a subject that requires a lot of initial investment - students and their parents must find an instrument for them to play, the proper equipment (such as mouthpieces, reeds, strings, etc.) for them to be successful, music for them to play, and an instructor that is knowledgeable in their particular instrument. This alone can often be a deterrent to many students and their families who may not be able or willing to invest in all of this, and the student hasn't even begun playing yet! I believe this shouldn't be the case. Music educators must make it a priority to provide students in need with the same opportunity to enjoy music as their peers, and must do everything in their power to make sure that they have all of the resources and materials available in order for them to succeed.