Strings Faculty

"When I teach students jazz I always encourage them to learn from other musicians in their ensembles, or give them suggestions for records to listen to and solos to transcribe, or encourage them to play with different instruments. That's how I learned."

"First, giving students a technical grounding that will assist in their musical journey. Next, exploring jazz improvisation as one would a spoken language: through immersion, imitation, absorption, and innovation. And last, giving students the skills to be lifelong learners, performers, collaborators, and teachers."

"I am hoping that our students will be able to play in a variety of situations from an orchestra to a studio session to a solo with total spontaneity. There is a lot of ground for us to cover, but it is a great time to be doing it."

"I would like my students to develop a good sense of groove and an ability to shape phrases, honoring whatever tradition they are a part of while making it their own, but most of all, to sound like the best version of themselves."

"Teaching constantly improves my own playing, because when you teach, you have to analyze what's going on with someone else and how they can improve."

My studio cultivates a supportive environment based on mindful practice and effortless playing. Imagination is our only limitation.

"I love working at Berklee because we are surrounded by such an enormous variety of high-quality music and interesting ideas."

"I hope that students come away from my classes with the inspiration to teach themselves after they've left school."

"Whatever sound is catching your ear and really moving you, that’s what you should be chasing."