The first thing I always do is ask my students what expectations they have — what they want to learn and how much work they are prepared to invest into music training. Then I adapt my teaching to their needs.
I listen to my students and consider their wishes — the kind of music and /or instrument they want to master. I don’t impose a set technique or a curriculum on them; rather, I customize my teaching to each individual. This approach has worked very well!
I started teaching lessons to schoolmates in high school when I was 16. For Hey Joe Guitar, I’ve been teaching for three years. I have a Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music and Masters from the New England Conservatory, I have also presented masterclasses at colleges and institutions in the US, Europe, and Asia.
My music has been aired on radios in more than a dozen countries and has won critical awards in the US, Canada, France, and Italy. I enjoy traveling, performing, and seeing my CDs in the specialized stores around the world.
When my students pass auditions, get scholarships or gigs in the music arena, and then they thank me for helping them along. That’s the kind of compliments I like.
I have traveled to many countries and in each one I found something that I really liked, usually local music or instrument. For example, the didjeridu, a wooden tube played by the aboriginal people in Australia.
Italian, English, basic French, basic Spanish, rudiments of Chinese.
Carlo Gesualdo. This composer, who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, may not be widely known, but his compositions, both secular and sacred, are awe-inspiring.
I collect whiskeys. The key word here is “collect,” not “drink!”
I buy CDs. Lots of Kurtag lately.
