My Teaching Philosophy

As a performer, teacher, and scholar, I have had the opportunity to travel and teach students from all over the world.  My performance experience spans a variety of venues and settings: the intimacy of private parties and local clubs, the grand stages of musical arts centers and large music festivals, international stages in Scandinavian countries.  I have performed with concert choirs and chorales, large and small jazz ensembles, Latin music ensembles, corporate bands, a POP orchestra, and R&B groups, including international R&B recording group CHANGE and Standing in the Shadows of Motown Live.  Throughout the years I have opened for Etta James, Gerald Albright, Eric Benet, and Ledisi, and performed alongside a variety of wonderful musician, ranging from the free jazz sounds of Eddie Gale, to Latin jazz with David Sanchez, rock and roll with Chubby Checkers, and R&B with Peabo Bryson and Leela James.   

I have been teaching at the collegiate level for over ten years.  During this time period I have taught music appreciation courses, music history survey courses, graduate level vocal jazz improvisation courses, and applied lessons and coaching at both the graduate and undergraduate level. As an applied lesson instructor, both in academic and private settings, I have had the opportunity to work with students from all over the world, at different levels of education and technique, in a variety of genres of music.  These genres include:  Korean, Japanese, Latin, and American pop music, Latin Jazz and Salsa, Serbian folk music, jazz, spirituals, blues, rhythm and blues, gospel, classic rock, alternative rock, grunge, country-pop, contemporary country, hip-hop, music theater, and art songs in the western-European classical music tradition.  As an experienced performer in most of these genres, that experience along with my education and training has allowed me the flexibility and sensitivity to apply the appropriate pedagogy to the teaching of these genres.

My approach to teaching in the vocal studio is very specific to the student’s musical experience and development.  My focus stems on: 
  1. Helping students to identify and understand their instrument...its components, strengths, weakness, and limitations.
  2. Using the student’s strength as an entry point for new material, and ensuring that their voice training is compatible with their desired style of singing.
  3. Maximizing the student’s strengths, while developing those areas that need improvement. 
  4. Consistently encouraging students to maximize their own capabilities. 



Using Soul Ingredients™ as part of my approach, I am a firm believer that students should be encouraged to express their emotional commitment to the music. Thus in addition to the development of technique, I place a strong emphasis on the development of artistic and creative musical interpretation, regardless of the genre the student wishes to perform.  

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