Teaching

I teach musicians of all ages and am passionate about helping them achieve their unique goals. With graduate degrees in Educational Studies and Flute Performance, I have a strong understanding of both music and pedagogy. My approach focuses on creating a supportive, trusting environment where musicians feel safe to take risks and explore their full musical potential.

In lessons, I work to develop musicianship by supplementing flute repertoire with duet reading, playing by ear, rhythm games, composition, and playful improvisation. I encourage musicians to be creative, think freely, and embrace the joy of music making. I also offer strategies for designing practice plans to help musicians accomplish specific goals.

One area of particular interest to me is supporting musicians through the mental challenges of performance, such as stage fright, self-doubt, and anxiety. I have experience preparing musicians for high-pressure situations using strategies such as positive self talk routines, mental rehearsal, visualization, body scanning, distraction training, and more. Overcoming doubt happens when we do the work to build trust with ourselves, clarify the purpose of our performance, and root ourselves in well-planned preparation.

Throughout my teaching career, I have helped students successfully prepare for college auditions, solo competitions, recording sessions, solo and ensemble performances, youth ensemble auditions, and chair placement tests. Several of my students have gone on to pursue degrees in music performance and music education. Many continue to play the flute while studying other fields and/or while working full time. I also enjoy working with adult musicians who seek opportunities to play in a meaningful environment. I help these musicians connect to local performance opportunities, social networks, and to organize purposeful performance projects for themselves.

I am a certified public school teacher with endorsements in Elementary Education, English Language Arts, ESL, and Music. I have vast experience working with a wide variety of learning styles, learning abilities, and neurodivergent thinkers.

Please visit my contact page to set up a lesson or request additional information.