Faculty Biography

"My whole thing is to try to work creatively and aesthetically, not just use the tools because it's a new plug-in. I give the student an approach so your information isn't just a mile deep and an inch wide. They're going to get really good technical support from the engineering staff. I feel I balance that off with a creative and aesthetic approach.

"We try to broaden their experience as much as possible. The work they may do on an alternative record, or a country record, or a jazz record, may support them later on when they're doing urban pop, just for ideas. Some of the more creative guys out there have a pretty good musical base. They've worked in a lot of arenas. They know not only how to get good vocals out of people, but also what works for the song. This is what's going to separate them from the kid down the street with the laptop and the beatboxes, who's got his stuff all over the Internet. I'm not saying that has no value—it does. But it's not going to have the same breadth, the same dynamic or musicality as someone who has a vast amount of experiences.

"I tell students over and over, it's not required that you like any kind of music to get something out of it. I am not big fan of opera; I'd be the first to admit it. But to say opera has nothing to offer me in terms of experience is foolish. I try to hit that early so they carry that with them when they go to other classes."