About my Teaching Approach

I help students develop facility with creating and improvising their own music from the very start of their experience on an instrument. My teaching pedagogy has roots in: NEC's Contemporary Improvisation program, Alice Kanack's Creative Ability Development method, and my experiences working with a wide range of players and ages. You can read more on my teaching philosophy here.

Below are my current offerings. If you’re interested in developing a workshop or series — whether along these lines, or something new — please contact me here.

• STARTING TO IMPROVISE AND COMPOSE

Using the safe musical boundaries of games and exercises, players with Classical or folk backgrounds enter the world of improvisation with ease and comfort. Players begin to compose using original notation and graphic scores.

Past locations: Sistema Fellows Program, Boston, MA; Hennigan School, Boston, MA; Newport String Project, RI

• STRING BAND ENSEMBLE for ADULTS & KIDS TOGETHER

Players of all ages learn fiddle tunes together, creating their own arrangements and harmonies, making use of improvisation and composition.

Past locations: El Sistema Somerville, Somerville, MA; Community String Project, Portsmouth, RI; RI Philharmonic Music School, East Providence, RI

• FIDDLE STYLES BY EAR

Classical players move away from the page, to experiment with music written for dancing. Fiddlers create accompaniments to go with the melodies they learn by ear.

Past locations: Lynbrook High School Orchestra, NY; Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program, Boston, MA

• INTRO TO NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR STRING PLAYERS

Players create an ‘alap’ and learn compositions, rhythmic cycles and patterns within the musical world of North Indian raga. 

Past locations: Community MusicWorks, Providence, RI; New England Conservatory Prep & Continuing Education Schools, Boston, MA

• FIDDLE MUSIC and DANCE

Students and families experience music through movement: learning dances together, and feeling how each dance matches the traditional fiddle music of the live band.

Past Locations: Providence Children’s Museum, RI; Northern Lincoln Elementary, RI; Daily Orchestra Program, Providence, RI

• MUSICAL STORYTELLING

Young musicians put a story to music, using improvisation and composition to develop original music representing each event and character.

Past locations: musiConnects, Mattapan, MA; Bridge Boston Charter School, Dorchester, MA; Meeting Street School, Providence, RI

+ ENSEMBLE RESIDENCIES with THREAD ENSEMBLE

+ PRIVATE LESSONS 

Lessons for adults or kids with a focus on either fiddle styles, improvisation and/or composition.