I have always been blessed to learn music under so many influential mentors in my life. From my first private lesson instructor, to my own brother, to eventually my high school orchestra director, I have continuously been inspired to pursue my love for music. I first fell in love with music around the age of 6 when my parents enrolled me in piano lessons. I was so lucky to have an instructor that worked to spark my love for learning and find significant ways of engaging me in each lesson. I adopted this method when I began teaching as well because I found that the best way to learn is to just start playing! My main goal with a new student, whether they have been playing for a while or are brand new, is to connect with them and find what inspires them about music. It is so important to start actually playing so I focus on finding a song that they’ll love to sit down and practice. A little while after I started piano lessons, my brother brought home a guitar one memorable day and I was captivated by the sound. He eventually taught me my first song- an All American Rejects banger – and I realized my passion for guitar! I ended up sticking with piano for about 3 years as I began learning guitar as well. Then, there was a need for a bass player in my middle school orchestra and with my background in guitar, I decided to join up. Once I hit high school, I had the amazing opportunity to learn under Kathleen Goodrich. She taught me the importance of understanding our roles in a group setting. Playing in a band is such a unique and fulfilling experience that I love to encourage with my students as well! There is so much growth that happens when you learn to lean on one another and work towards a common goal of creating music together that simply cannot be replaced. Another important aspect of learning an instrument is gaining an understanding of the fundamentals of music and music theory. Having these tools in your tool belt opens up so many levels for self expression that may not have been previously available. I work to incorporate some level of music theory into lessons with each of my students. This empowers them to take control of their musical narrative and create sounds that are uniquely theirs. An interesting trait I have found that makes me exceptionally suited to teach is that I have a tendency to over explain. I love finding different ways of delivering an idea or technique in lessons which really resonates with each of my student’s special ways of learning. I also believe that every student’s individual way of understanding concepts should be celebrated so we take a little time at the end of each lesson to really appreciate the learning hurdles we overcome. This keeps the momentum going every lesson and encourages continued growth and engagement. One piece of advice I would give anyone looking to learn an instrument is to value learning scales and patterns. Once you have a grasp of these fundamentals, you’ll find so much freedom in being able to express yourself musically!