The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

My teaching philosophy flows from the ideas I inherited from my own teachers.  They gave me ideas and principles that still guide me as a musician.

  - Technical grounding.  To begin to make music at a professional level, we each need to look honestly at where we stand in our technical development and do the work necessary to resolve technical issues.  I feel that most issues are best addressed through careful and thorough work with scales, arpeggios, and bowing exercises.  My students learn to use their bodies naturally and in a relaxed way to
develop technical consistency and style.  I have had success helping students relieve tension in their bowarms and improve their sound.  I have also helped many students develop a more relaxed and expressive vibrato, and develop greater speed and facility in the left hand.  Many German bow players have found my approach to developing a spiccato stroke very useful.

  - A practical focus:  Most bass students with the ability and focus to apply for and get in to Peabody are interested in an orchestral career.  I select solo and orchestral repertoire for students with the aim of ensuring that they graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to perform well in an orchestral context, as well as in orchestral auditions.

- Solos:  I encourage all my students to bring solo music into their lessons that they like and feel excited about playing.  While not everyone is ready to play every solo piece, I do feel that we all learn more when we feel personally motivated and excited by the music we are working on.

  - Music first.  My goal is never to teach technique as an end in itself, but to always try to direct technical work towards a focus on musical excellence.  The more I play music, and the more I listen to great musicians, the more I see that the skills involved in making a truly beautiful phrase are much more important (and difficult) than the ability to play loud and fast!  This doesn't mean that I don't teach practical technical skills, but that I want all my students to use those skills to make interesting and passionate music.