Piano

"I try to teach students ways of practicing in which inspiration and analysis mutually support each other. My aim is to teach them an appreciation of both intuition and analysis so there is no conflict between the two. Instead, they mutually enhance each other. I want to see my students grow more inspired as well as more knowledgeable. I always emphasize having fun while learning, enjoying the process. I encourage my students to always practice in a musical way, never approaching music mechanically or viewing it as a mere skill."

"I've been doing yoga for about ten years, and my yoga informs my piano playing in terms of feeling balanced. When you're trying a yoga pose that's too difficult, you have to back up until you find a version of that pose that you can do well. The same is true with piano playing; if you're trying something that is just too difficult, you can pound away all day long and it's not going to work. You have to back up a little bit, find a version that is comfortable, master that, and then take it to the next level. You want to sound good right now, even if it's just one measure, one note; go from there, and build on that."

"I bring in my experiences from outside the school because I want to prepare my students for what’s out there. I want them to know what to expect. When you’re in school it can be kind of mesmerizing, then you’re out and all of a sudden it’s, 'Gee, this is the real world.' I’ll tell them, for instance, that they should know how to do a certain thing in their chords because someday they might be out on a gig and someone might ask, 'Can you play this open voicing?' or say, 'I want this for my recording and that’s the sound I’m looking for.' I want my students to be ready for anything and everything out there."