Philip S  
Instruments: Cello
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Avant-garde

Even while getting my Bachelor and Master’s degrees at The Juilliard School, I knew that I wanted to explore more kinds of music. Strong fundamentals are necessary for every student, but from there every student should be able to explore the music that inspires them! I’ve spent over 13 years fusing my classical training with other genres: pop, rock, funk, EDM, folk, world, jazz, you name it. With my violin/cello duo, ARKAI, I’m on a mission to expand the possibilities of what a cello can do. I bring this forward-thinking vision of music to every lesson that I teach, encouraging students to explore their curiosities and passions while also laying rock-solid technical foundations that will serve them in any musical context.

Learning the cello should be about where YOU want to make music. Whether that's classical fundamentals, jazz improvisation, or pop arrangements, I can help create a personalized lessons that help you achieve your musical goals! I begin most students with a bass of Suzuki pedagogy to lay solid foundations for instrumental approach, note reading, and tone development. Based on student interest, we can then move to either more Western classical repertoire, transcriptions of tunes of the student's choice, or stylistic improvisation.