VAYA Music Festival, 2024

Directly related to playing is physicality.  Just like every human being is unique, the approach to any instrument has to be adapted to the student’s physical size.  Fingering, the use of shoulders, arms, back, and wrists is like choreography.  One size does not fit all. This makes for a fascinating discussion for interactive workshops.

Over the years, I have not only adjudicated at festivals from coast to coast, but I have also given master classes and workshops on wide-ranging topics.  One personal favorite is talking about music as a language, and how we can teach any instrument with that as our primary goal.  This was a lecture that I was asked to give throughout Henan and Guangdong provinces in China in 2017.  The response was overwhelming.  Teaching which had been focused on repetition and antiquated technical exercises evolved into a much more creative practice with stunning results.  The removal of the fear of hitting a wrong note was replaced by a deeper level of communication through sounds. 

Canada Music Week, 2025