Faculty Biography

"The listening aspect of music is probably the most important part. Ear training is all about comprehending what you are listening to and knowing how to analyze it. The goal is to be able to look at a piece of music and know what it sounds like without having to listen to it; or conversely, to listen to a piece of music and be able to notate it.

"My teaching style is loose, but with a serious motive. I have a reputation for being very relaxed and treating everyone as if they are on the same level as me. I tell my students, 'Isn't this fun? You guys are laughing while you're sitting there getting your butts kicked.'

"Berklee is great. For me, it's about being around energy and good spirit. To see a student's progress over a short period of time is gratifying. And it's really exciting to see one of your students become seriously successful. I had the drummer Antonio Sanchez in an ensemble. He used to come to class with all these drums, and it would take him 35, 40 minutes to set up. Plus, he would play the whole time like it was a solo. Eventually, I told him he could only bring five drums to class. I told him he had to simplify. I saw him years later at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest and he said, 'That's the most profound thing anybody ever said to me.' It felt great.

"I've taught Berklee educational programs in Puerto Rico, Japan, and Italy. And I travel with the World Scholarship Tour, auditioning prospective students. It's great when a student I met in Malaysia or Germany or Japan comes up to me on the street here in Boston and says, 'Thanks for helping me get to Berklee.'"