MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Music Composition BM, Trinity University, Music Composition
Awards:
2013- Had a solo violin piece commissioned and then premiered by the SOLI Chamber Ensemble
2012- Performed with Faust at RedCat Theater in Los Angeles
2011- Won an ATAC Globe Award for Best Original Score for Trinity University's production of The Bacchae
2010- Voted Best Multi-Instrumentalist by the San Antonio Current
2008- Performed with Churchill High School Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
Overview:
I'm an enthusiastic and driven teacher who loves to help students realize their personal musical goals. In 2012, I graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from Trinity University and in 2014, I earned an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. I've performed a wide variety of music with everyone from orchestras to pop and folk bands throughout my life. I've also consistently written my own music and performed it in a variety of settings, including recently completing a national US tour of my original songs. My studio reflects these various interests with a clean environment and an organized collection of instruments and books.
EXPERIENCE
I've been teaching in a number of different situations for about 4 years now. I first began teaching in 2010 when I worked at the Magik Children's Theater in San Antonio as an instructor for a School of Rock class there. In this class, I taught beginning students on guitar, bass, keys, and drums how to play popular rock songs. I worked at the Magik Children's Theater for 2 years before moving to California where I worked as a Teaching Assistant and a full time instructor for a number of theory/musicianship classes at the California Institute of the Arts. Around this time, I also began taking students for private lessons on violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo and all the other various things I play. In both the bigger theory classes and my one-on-one lessons, I really encourage students to work on material that they enjoy and to relate their studies to the things that they're passionate about. I want to ensure that my students are as excited about music as I am! I strive to make lessons simultaneously challenging but always fun and relevant to a student's interests
METHODS USED
For beginning students who have no experience on their instrument, I usually spend a fair chunk of time working on basic technique using books like the Essential Elements series or Greg Horne's similar books for folk instruments. I usually combine the book material with other songs/pieces relevant to each student's interests. For more advanced students, I usually find a mix of repetoire relevant to their interests and technical exercises for them to refine and develop technique.
LESSON STYLE
I allow students to work at their own pace while also setting realistic attainable goals. I want students to feel relaxed during their lessons so I try to establish an atmosphere that's both informal yet studious. One of my top priorities as a teacher is to understand what a student is most interested in and then focus our lessons on what they love. The best way to understand technique and theory is to apply it to something that you enjoy so I always try to attain this!
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