Piano Lessons in Norwalk, CT

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Bass Guitar Synthesizer Accordion Ukulele Euphonium French Horn Tuba Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I never had a specific teacher that inspired me to go into music. I've had many amazing teachers who have all opened my mind to different musical ideas. Each musician has their own perspective; music is very personal to each musician. When someone becomes a teacher, they are opening themselves up to sharing with others what they know and feel about music. For me, I knew I would go into music when I discovered a natural talent and a calling for it. It was a place in my life where the hard work I put in really paid off.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
This is a loaded question. It implies that I have a primary instrument. My first instrument was French horn, but I soon after started learning trumpet. I have spent a lot of time playing brass instruments, but I never felt as though one of them was my primary. I give the same attention and expertise to every instrument that I play and teach. Techniques on every instrument are universal and transferable. When I learn something on bass guitar, I can apply that knowledge to tuba or to piano or to trumpet. I don't feel that any musician should limit themselves to just one instrument, if they have the desire to play multiple. I am a certified expert in doubling up on instruments and am happy to share my knowledge on playing many, many instruments.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
My greatest musical accomplishment is performing two solo recitals of all new, commissioned music. These recitals took place in 2016 and 2017. I worked with a variety of composers to create new works that were specifically written for me and my many instruments. The instrumentation and content was always unique and collaborating to bring new pieces of music into the world was life changing. Some of the orchestration includes: trumpet with electronics, brass trio, brass quartet, euphonium and electronics, unaccompanied trumpet, a piece for brass doubler (solo trumpet and tuba, alternating) accompanied by brass trio, and video game music for brass trio.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Many of my students have been those preparing for auditions for all-state groups, regional bands, or chair auditions. I am proud to say that of all the students I've had, any that auditions for regionals or all-state ensembles have made it! I have had several middle school student attain their goal of first chair. Most recently, two of my long time students have gone on to college at Arizona State University and Colorado State University and play in their respective marching bands. As a teacher, it is my mission to instill a lifelong love of music in my students, in the hopes that they never give up playing music.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
I think the trickiest thing on any instrument is time. Time is having a sense for rhythm and tempo. The hard part about time is that every style is not created equal. In Latin music, time pushes forward so rhythms feel almost rushed. In swing and many styles of jazz, time pulls backwards for some instruments, and pushes ahead for others, coming together to make a "groove." In every rhythm there is a small subdivision that determines when notes happen. It takes years to teach your body to feel and lock into time the way you need to in each style.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I don't use any one book. While the standard choices for books on each instrument have great content to practice, they are all very different in their explanations and sometimes, they provide little to no explanation. I tend to use a combination of three or four books to vary the content that is played and take advantage of all the different ideas in the books. After all, every book is written by an expert teacher with a valid and useful opinion. But, sometimes a book does not contain the joy of music, the fun of music, and the act of creation that occurs each time a student plays their instrument.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
A normal practice session for me looks like this: 1. Warm up -Breathing exercises, to expand and strengthen the lungs and surrounding muscles -Buzzing and singing, to get my lips and ears in check -Long tones and drones, to make the most beautiful sound I can -Scales and patterns, to increase my musical vocabulary in all keys -Flexibility exercises, to make sure I am playing without tension and without strain 2. Sight reading, to keep my musical literacy skills up 3. Etudes/performance pieces, to accomplish creating music that is meant to be performed and practice the act of performing 4. Arranging/composing, using all my inspiration from playing to hash out new ideas for new music, or re-arranging existing music for new instrumentation

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 two music degrees! The first is my Bachelor's degree in Performance. In my undergraduate career, I wanted to focus on trumpet and tuba and the art of performing. I chose a classical degree program at New York University to learn from experts in my field that also happened to be the top, most-called NYC performers on those instruments. I chose performance to hone my technique for my own fulfillment and also so that I could share what I learned with my students. My second degree is a Master's degree in music education, teaching all grades K-12. I chose this degree to master the art of teacher and sharing musical ideas. The program focused on instrumental and choral classroom teaching in Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools, for both mainstreamed and special education students. I wanted to feel comfortable teaching any student and helping any student, regardless of circumstance, to reach their musical goals.

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