Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is rooted in the ideal that the best way to learn is through discussion and interaction both with professor and peers. It is my responsibility as an instructor to guide students to think critically about a subject and make connections with their life experience. I believe that it is essential to provide tools students need to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for what music offers aesthetically. At the same time, it essential that students understand the social and/or cultural context in which the music they are listening to was created.
We live in a highly music-oriented age where students regularly engage music through diverse means such as digital media, independently produced recordings, as well as their own music making. With such wide offerings for music, the music educator must guide students to make connections between various genres of music and to demonstrate how music appeals to different people and the different functions it serves, resulting in informed consumers and performers of music.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the music educator to guide the student in developing foundational knowledge of many genres and composers, even those that I may not be familiar with. The application of critical pedagogy wherein the student takes on the leadership role is necessarily and enthusiastically applied in all music learning settings.