Being a Teacher

A native of Rochester, New York, I began piano lessons at age 5 with my mother. In time I studied at a variety of private studios including the Eastman School. After high school, I entered SUNY Fredonia as an organ major, transferring to Stetson University in Deland FL. While raising a young family, I entered Peabody Teacher's College in Nashville. Later I trained as a Navy broadcast journalist, and once a civilian again, I spent five years as a classical radio announcer & producer at WPLN. In 1985, I completed a bachelor's degree in church music at Belmont College (cum laude) and returned for a master's in music education, conferred in 1991. The area of emphasis for my M.M.E. degree was Elementary/Primary Pedagogical Methodology (translation: how to teach music to kids in K-8). My internship was at Montessori Academy in Brentwood teaching pre-school through 6th grade.

As a teacher of piano, organ and theory, I specialize in beginning through intermediate level, and accept students of all ages. I also teach most styles, including jazz & pop. Theory and improvisation are text (method) based, since I believe it's crucial to have an intellectual comprehension of the principals of harmony, melody and form. People who can play by ear already do so...may the force be with them! I also do some vocal coaching, but this focuses on interpretation rather than vocal production since I am an instrumentalist.

You really don't know what being an educator is all about until you've tried teaching music to a group of 3 year olds! I've worked for local churches of every major denomination as an accompanist, organist and choir director. I hold membership in the American Guild of Organists and am organist at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Franklin, plus I work full-time for Vanderbilt in the Biochemistry Department. My wife of 35 years, Carol, and I have two grown children, Benjamin and Rebecca, two poodles (Bizet & Isaac) and two cats (Maurice & Pierre). In our "spare time," you can generally find us at home in Brentwood gardening and landscaping.