Greg Wardson

"A few teachers who were almost mythical creatures for me drew me into loving music and wanting to be a musician. When I was in high school, one of my teachers got me to listen to a record: Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. It was like someone ripping the cover off; it blew my world open. I look at teaching, among other things, as a way to pass that along; it feels like a ball and I just want to keep it rolling."

"I hope to give students a greater understanding for what it will take for them to be better musicians and people than they were before. I like to see myself as a person who helps to show direction. To me, that's what it's all about. I think the lion's share of anything you have to do to be to be a good musician comes from oneself, but it does help to have somebody to say: 'Why don't you look over in that direction?' It's our job to show people paths that are important."

"For all that I learned in classes and directly from teachers, a lot of what I learned, I learned on my own. I was always inquisitive and tried find out more about things that someone taught me. I think one of our jobs is to instill that curiosity and also excite people, to show them pathways and outlets for how they might pursue it in their own individual way."

"Students are ultimately looking to be professional musicians in some capacity, whether it's in a recording studio, teaching, or whatever. As teachers with professional experience, we can pass on the things that are most important. The music world has certainly changed in the last 10-plus years, and as someone who is out there and performing in the real world, I can highlight that to people. Through passing on that wisdom, maybe I can make it a little more realistic to students."