"The improvisational approaches that I relay to my students are theoretically explainable, of course, but it's the practical and artistic applications that I really want to get across to them."
"I think the tradition is responsible for how you play, no matter how far out you go. But at the same time, my job is to get the kids to stretch out. I want to take them away from the tradition."
"My teaching style adapts to each individual student. I try to find their strengths and weaknesses and work accordingly. I encourage them to dig deep inside and find their personal voice."
"In addition to practicing, hands-on experience (on-the-job-training) is the only way to develop as a musician and to ultimately arrive at the consistency we all strive for."
"Even though I have a very large studio, I try the best I can to have an individual relationship with each student, whether that means going out for pizza or encouraging emails. I love teaching: this is what I intended to do,"
"For me it’s all about helping my students develop as performers regardless of the style. I try to focus on the specific needs of my students and use a systematic approach supported by organization, technology tools and lots of listening."
"I try to be very open and all-inclusive and I also try to approach a particular topic in a bunch of different ways: visually, aurally, and kinesthetically."
"As long as you're enjoying the moment—that's it, stop there. Have a generalized plan, but you can reevaluate at any point. Take the pressure off. Enjoy what you're doing."
"What's appealing is to get students who have never played jazz and after even just one semester some of them are really accomplishing and improvising."
