Overall Mission
I am a musician because I have had a passion (or obsession) with the communicative nature of music for my entire life and I do not foresee that going away. Music can make a change in the world in innumerable ways. I truly love people and being a musician is a way to connect with people around the world in an intimate and special way.
With that said, I am not a musician because I like to play all the right notes and rhythms. I don't do it because I like to play in tune. Not even because I like to vary articulations, dynamics, vibrato, etc. No, the reason I am a musician is to make a difference in the world. All of those things I listed (and more) are vital to meeting this goal because the proficient we are, the more transparent and free-flowing our communication can be. I am a musician before a trombonist, a guide before an educator, and a thinker before a theorist. This is the essence of who I am and what I hope to bring to the world.
With that said, I am not a musician because I like to play all the right notes and rhythms. I don't do it because I like to play in tune. Not even because I like to vary articulations, dynamics, vibrato, etc. No, the reason I am a musician is to make a difference in the world. All of those things I listed (and more) are vital to meeting this goal because the proficient we are, the more transparent and free-flowing our communication can be. I am a musician before a trombonist, a guide before an educator, and a thinker before a theorist. This is the essence of who I am and what I hope to bring to the world.
Education
One of my most inspirational mentors, Dr. Alice Hammel, often says that if each student was challenged and supported each day, the world would be a better place. I realize more and more how profound that statement is. First of all, the focus is on each student; we teach individuals, not a class all on approximately the same skill level. Each student has different needs and different ways to feel successful. It's not a student's responsibility to figure out how the teacher teaches, but for the teacher to find how the student learns best. Secondly, the students need to be both challenged and supported. This means knowing our students on a very deep level. Many teachers lean too much towards challenging or supporting (some teachers do neither, unfortunately). It is a goal of mine to find the balance of challenging and supporting for my students to best encourage and mentor them in their learning journeys. Finally, we must do this each time we teach, every day. We owe our students nothing but the best. This is not to say that we can't have rough teaching days; in fact, our students should see that. This is to say that it is our job to find the best possible way to foster growth in our students each day so they can also craft this in themselves for lifelong learning.
Trombone
Dr. Vern Kagarice said that if he wrote a book on how to play the trombone, it would be three chapters long:
I think Vern had a really great point in his idea of pedagogy. I am largely inspired by cognitive developmental research, musician's health studies, Alexander Technique, and efficient playing techniques in my approach to playing and teaching the trombone. Hearing the sound, letting it go through the instrument and to the audience, and repeating the process is really how playing the trombone works.
- The Picture of Success: Have a clear musical idea before picking up the instrument.
- The Vehicle to Success: Blow the intended sound out the bell in a communicative and effortless manner for the listener.
- The Key to Success: Repeat steps 1 and 2 in order ad infinitum without distractions.
I think Vern had a really great point in his idea of pedagogy. I am largely inspired by cognitive developmental research, musician's health studies, Alexander Technique, and efficient playing techniques in my approach to playing and teaching the trombone. Hearing the sound, letting it go through the instrument and to the audience, and repeating the process is really how playing the trombone works.
Music-Making
Trombonists get way too caught up in playing trombone. I am absolutely guilty of this. Steve Menard once told me that nothing I do technically on the instrument should distract from the musical message I present to the audience. I think this is a vital thing to remember. Being a technician of the instrument is only a small part of what we do as artists. Everything we do to enhance our abilities on the instrument are done to support the musical ideas we give. It is important that we find the affect we wish to convey through our playing and let our choices reflect that affect.
My Pedagogies
In order to achieve my goals in the views of my aforementioned missions, I find it vital to craft a cohesive pedagogy of playing and teaching the trombone. I have found that being diverse in my discoveries allows me to make transfers of information because everything informs everything. I work to critically view everything I read and even what I teach so it is a coherent message with little to no opportunities for being hypocritical.
Several methodologies, theorists, and ideas that have informed my teaching are:
Several methodologies, theorists, and ideas that have informed my teaching are:
- Zoltán Kodály
- Critical Pedagogy
- Universal Design for Learning
- Music Learning Theory
- Jan Kagarice
- Alexander Technique
- Eckart Altenmüller