Teaching is a profoundly enriching experience mutually for student and teacher. I believe that learning is a shared journey and I aim to pass along the invaluable lessons I received from my own mentors and teachers in every lesson. The medium of learning to play a musical instrument from a teacher who is passing along their teacher’s legacy remains a practice as old as time, and one not to be replaced by modern developments.

My teaching approach is centered on discovering what works best for each individual student. Every learner has their own unique style, and my goal is to help them uncover and embrace it. I was trained from a young age through the Suzuki method, and I incorporate the principles of learning by doing, as well as imitation, into my lessons. Some students respond best to vivid descriptions or visualizations of concepts, while others thrive through imitation and repetition. My role as a teacher is to create an environment where students can integrate these tools—techniques, exercises, and interpretations—as a means to discover and develop their own voice.

While technical practice and discipline—scales, etudes, and constant effort— are essential for growth, I believe that a student’s love for music must remain at the heart of the learning process. I understand that each student comes to me with different goals and backgrounds and I approach lessons with a balance of warmth and discipline, pushing students to reach their potential. Whether they aspire to become a professional violinist, a grade school teacher, a doctor, or a road-worker, I approach each student with the intent of providing a quality that will bring that student to their highest playing ability, musically and personally. By fostering mastery of technical skills and musical expressiveness, I believe that students develop not only as musicians, but also as individuals, equipped to make meaningful contributions to society. Music, though beautiful in its own right, serves as a transferable expression of human potential and can inspire a better, more peaceful world. 

Ultimately, my teaching philosophy revolves around creating great music and nurturing the goals and development of the musician and the human being. By mastering intonation, rhythm, tone and expression, through disciplined practice, including physical body awareness and knowledge of the greater context of the music, students can achieve a level of musicianship that allows them to explore the full spectrum of their musical potential. My students describe my teaching as gentle, yet regimented, warm, yet disciplined.