My teaching style is both student-centered and skill-focused. My goal as a teacher is for my students to become independent, life-long musicians. To accomplish this, while we're working on skills, I check periodically in with students about their feeling about their accomplishments and to make sure they're happy with the music they are playing.
I see teaching as the opportunity to walk beside a student through their learning journey. As we build skills, I work hard to follow my students' interests and inclinations. My goal is for all of my students to become independent, joyful, life-long music makers.
I've been a musician for most of my life, beginning my own musical journey at the age of five. Most recently, I play with local musicians in folk music jams and am proud to be a member of the Uke Head community, with the self-titled album to be released in February 2023=4.
I have served my communities as an instructor for over thirty-five years. I have amassed a wealth of experience in working with group and individual classes through my private studio, including piano, keyboard, guitar, ukulele, recorder, music history, and music theory. In addition to working with individual students, I have experience teaching in both secondary (high and middle schools) and elementary schools, as well as at the university level.
I hold a Bachelor of Music from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of South Florida and studied piano as part of my studies in both degrees. I am also a member of the American Recorder Society and the National Association for Music Education. I am certified in Orff-Schulwerk and earned full certification (Level III ) through the James Hill Ukulele Initiative.
JHUI (the James Hill Ukulele Initiative) has the world's most comprehensive ukulele teacher certification program, with three levels of preparation and in-depth study of teaching individuals and groups. In addition to assessments about learning theory, JHUI-certified teachers must demonstrate skills through teaching, arranging pieces for solo ukulele and ukulele ensembles, performing on the ukulele, and performing on the ukulele while singing.
