EDUCATOR

Teaching music is an act of the heart over the mind. Our hearts are inherently driven to music in ways we may not realize. Some of us gravitate toward playing music, some of us gravitate toward writing music, and some of us are simply music lovers. Ever since I began playing music in middle school, I was drawn to improvisation and composition. Like many young musicians, however, my opportunities to express my unique musical voice in school were limited. Some genres of music, such as classical music, are valued more than social genres of music like jazz which place improvisation at the forefront. Dedicating time to study improvisation, composition, and arranging allowed me to discover and express my identity and culture through music. My vision as a music educator is to create opportunities for my students to express themselves authentically through these tools. Guiding students toward creating music can play a key role in the development of a student’s identity and independent decision-making skills, no matter where their hearts take them with music.

As a jazz trombonist, I know the power music has to tell stories. I find the utmost pleasure in conveying emotions and stories through my playing. Through jazz education, I strive to inspire my students to do the same. I view teaching jazz as an art of its own; one that requires respect, purpose, and more than waving our arms in front of a band. I view myself not as a conductor or director, but as a teacher, as the mission of jazz education should always be rooted in teaching our students something new and setting them up for success, wherever that may take them.