Guitar Lessons in Memphis, TN

Instruments: Trombone

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
My greatest accomplishment has been to teach others to love music and have great success. Their success is mine. I love to see my students discover gifts and talents they did not know they had. I have had the privilege to play in all-states bands and orchestras, in marching bands, jazz ensembles, and brass and trombone choirs. Many of these have been award winning. I have played solos and done recitals in many varied settings. Each occasion and each situation has been an accomplishment. Trombone has been a path to success and a source of joy.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
It is important to persevere and be consistent in practicing. Daily sessions of even 10 minutes can make all the difference! To truly have fun, make great music, and succeed, you have to practice. I hope to inspire my students to love to practice. Playing in a group can be a joy. That is one way to lead students to want to play, play, and play. With the busy schedules that everyone has it is often difficult to find time to practice. Understanding that, my lessons allow the student to succeed by taking small steps.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
This is a general outline of one of my lessons: - discussion of where things are - warm up (using exercises specifically developed for the individual student) - work on embouchure, position, technique - a review of the precious lesson - an introduction to a new technique or challenge - duet playing - fun tunes! - assignment for the next session - confirmation of the day and time of the next session Practice can be fun! I hope that each session will lead to an increased commitment and a renewed spirit.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
I truly enjoy playing all kinds of music. Each style/genre has its place and plays an important role in the musical universe. A good musician works hard to understand and appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of each genre and the best way to interpret it. I have had the privilege of playing/performing all kinds of music - from classical to pop to jazz to modern. There is always something to learn. There are always new horizons to explore. Life is an adventure and being exposed to its many colors and fabrics is truly a joy.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have my Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia. I chose music education because it would prepare me to be able to teach/share music with others. The program was full and rich and allowed me to also focus on my trombone studies. It is one of my greatest pleasures to teach and train people of all ages - enabling and equipping them to discover their musical gifts and develop them. You feel like you have a musical heritage when you are an educator. You train others who train others......

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
Trombone is my major instrument. I also play guitar. I love to play and have used my guitar often in my work - especially to accompany myself or others singing. Over the past 8 years in France I have taught beginning guitar to over 300 students. I began playing out of necessity (needing to accompany). I find the guitar to be a beautiful and challenging instrument on which the student can have fairly rapid success. I also teach voice. I have sung since childhood and love to do so. I have a masters degree in church/choral music and have taught singers for years. The voice is a person's primary instrument and developing it is essential no matter what other instrument you play.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
My high school band director inspired me to play in the band. He challenged me to go as far as I could go in trombone and led me to see that I could have a career in music. His goal, and mine, was not only to play great music but also to learn to love the arts and lead others to do so. I came to understand the importance pf practice in order to master an instrument. To this day I find great joy in simply playing trombone. Some days I just can't put it down. I have seen my students discover the same passion in themselves.

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