"In order to grow as a musician, you have to transcribe to see how it's done. It's probably the oldest tried-and-true method of advancing as a musician. It's not just singing a Marvin Gaye song; it's learning what Marvin Gaye did, copying it, and then making it your own. It's like having a private lesson with Marvin Gaye."

"My approach, I think, is very pragmatic. How can I teach things that are going to be practical? How do we make ear training relevant, instead of being some academic or abstract course that students have to take, but don't understand why. I try to demonstrate examples of things I've transcribed. Throughout my career, I've been playing diverse styles. In my classes, I use funk, r&b, Latin, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban. . . ."

"There's a lot of work involved in acquiring the skills to become a creative musician. You can have the creativity, but it comes out more easily if you do the work to acquire these tools. It doesn't have to be a drag to do that work, but even genius needs help. Even Lennon and McCartney went through lots of study. They learned every song that came on the radio; they knew hundreds of songs before they became the Beatles. We're not trying to inhibit anyone's creativity; we're just trying to give them the vocabulary to express themselves."

"I've written for Columbia Pictures Publications. Most of my arrangements were for the educational division of the company. I learned from some great writers about phrasing—writing in a way that gives musicians the opportunity to be expressive in performance. I also learned how to highlight strengths in ensemble settings. Because of my writing experience, I try to get the students to be aware of how music is phrased, so that in Ear Training they can recognize melodies, rhythms, and harmonies as something that's not so abstract."