Matt D  
Instruments: Piano, Clarinet
Styles: Classical

I have been teaching since high school, both piano and clarinet. I continued my instructing career in official capacities as Intermediate Clarinet Instructor at the Potomac Wind Academy and as Clarinet Instructor at Colerain High School. Teaching independently and as a representative of a larger organization require different skills and I have developed these skills accordingly. In lessons, I pride myself on a proper balance of positive encouragement and personal accountability. I believe it is important for everyone to have music in their lives, no matter what capacity. My duty as a teacher is to discover that capacity and to connect each student personally with his/her music.

For clarinet, I have developed a custom-tailored method for students based off the excellent instruction I have received from my teachers: Robert DiLutis of the University of Maryland, Jonathan Gunn of the University of Cincinnati, David Drosinos of the Baltimore School for the Arts, and Kristen Spiridon of the Savannah, Augusta and Coastal Symphony Orchestras. I believe fundamentals (air, embouchure, articulation, etc.) are the essential building blocks of a well-developed musician and I place specific emphasis on them every lesson. Solos and etudes allow the student to train his/her musical skill, and I assign them to give the student a chance to make the music his/her own creation. Finally, I love the opportunity to play duets with my students to give them a chance to make music together in a fun, no-pressure environment.  For piano, I typically teach through the Faber method, although I observe how the student progresses to see if an alternative method may be more effective. Significance remains on fundamentals, and I also experiment using clarinet in lessons to develop a student's skill collaborating with other musicians. Collaboration is a very important aspect of being a pianist and I look forward to making music with all of my students!