Every student has a unique relationship with music, has different reasons for being interested in music-making, and has different strengths and weaknesses. My goal as a teacher is to guide the student in developing their musical knowledge and technical proficiency so that the student has the language, vocabulary, and technical skills to best express themselves and reach their musical and personal goals. I strive to inspire, instill curiosity and confidence, and cultivate a lifelong relationship with music. 

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Moreover, I view teaching as akin to the old proverb, "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." In parallel with my own feedback, I carefully guide students in reflecting on their own growth and performance so that they develop healthy and productive self-reflection skills. Ultimately,  I am training my students to become their own teachers. 

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Finally, I emphasize a distinction between playing (performing) and practicing. Practicing is a purposeful, focused study of a specific technique, musical idea, or excerpt. Performing requires an entirely different headspace from practicing, focused on relaxation, listening, and a complete surrender to the moment. While practicing requires dedicated self-reflection, performing necessitates the near abandonment of it. Practice selfishly, perform selflessly.