Teaching Philosophy

My teaching style is guided by 4 Pillars:

​Safety

We learn best in environments where we feel safe. In my classes, I cultivate a healing environment designed to create a welcoming and loving space for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and race. I actively implement anti-racist curriculum, and attend Trauma-Informed Teaching and Social-Emotional Learning trainings often. 

I recognize the privileges I have as an able-bodied, white, cisgender woman, and actively work to unlearn my implicit biases. 

​Love

I intentionally create loving learning environments. To me, this love includes: patience; encouragement; validation; safety; kindness; compassionate understanding, and empathetic humanity.

Conversation

​Music is a dialogue, not a dictatorship. I encourage all students to explore their own musical ideas and develop musical reasoning, as I recognize there is no absolute “right” way to create music. Learning an instrument is a lifelong process. As I, too, am still a student of my craft, I conceptualize myself as a “musical mentor” rather than a teacher. As the world-renowned violinist Ida Haendel once told me, “Every musician you meet, regardless of their age or ability, can teach you something.” My lessons are a space of mutual learning. ​

Excellence

Everyone is capable of musical excellence, and it’s never too late to begin pursuing it. In my studio, each student’s musical experience is tailored to best serve their needs at that moment. Through healthy and productive practice, my students become better musicians, performers, and humans.