Session Presenter at: NAfME Conferences, American String Teachers Assoc. (ASTA) Conferences, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinics, Texas, NJ, PA, AL, OH, MO, and other state music educator conferences.
Invite me as your Orchestra Festival Director
1. Both a string player and brass player brining a unique teaching perspective and approach to Symphonic Orchestras students
2. A two time attendee at the Juilliard Conducting Workshop for Music Educators
3. Eager to know students and directors by name.
4. Devotion to teaching ensemble skills to students
Recent Festivals
Philadelphia Archdiocesan High School Orchestra Festival
SJBODA Intermediate Festival - Innaugural Year
Montgomery County Honors Orchestra
Philadelphia Archdiocesan Elementary Orchestra Festival
PMEA District 10 5/6 Orchestra Festival
PMEA District 12 7/8 Orchestra Festival
Recent Conference Presentations
Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA)
Maryland Music Educators Association (MdMEA)
NAfME Eastern Division Conference
Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA)
New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA)
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA)
Scheduled Conference Presentations
TBA
MORE Innovative Uses of Technology in the Orchestra Rehearsal
Description: Using technology in your orchestra rehearsals will help improve your students' playing skills and make your rehearsals more effective, efficient, and engaging. The use of technology is ongoing in many music classes and rehearsals, and teachers must keep pace. This session is a technology “smorgasbord”;a sampler of many technology “morsels”. The technology sampler will contain morsels in these areas: 1) hardware, 2) computer applications, 3) apps for devices, and 4) some websites (time-dependent). Some of these apps are general usage apps that can be applied successfully in rehearsals. While this session is primarily directed toward orchestra directors, the presenter being a violinist, trumpeter, and singer, can offer approaches for band, and choral directors for use in their rehearsals.
How to Get String Players to Follow Your Conducting
Description: Playing in an ensemble provides students with a unique and powerful people-connecting experience. Ensembles rely on conductors to provide coherence, precision, and alignment. This session builds upon the Content Area 2E – Ensemble Skills, Learning Target 3.3 section of the ASTA String Curriculum. Being an effective conductor begins with developing the habit of students looking up. While directors may have excellent techniques and skills, how effective are they if students are not looking up? How does a director know that students are looking, and what rehearsal techniques foster this habit? Even if students are watching, can they interpret and execute what they see from the conductor? What are the most recognizable gestures for students? Lastly, are students' playing skills adaptable so they can respond and engage with the conductor? As an ensemble director, what should you do to foster these skills during rehearsals? There will be some demonstrations of technology, miscellaneous devices, and other gimmicks. The presenter being a violinist, trumpeter, and singer, can offer adaptations for those who are also band directors and/or choral directors.
Click below to hear a sound clip of a conducting festival
performance
Clinician and Conductor
Upcoming Festivals
PMEA District 11 7/8 Orchestra Festival
Pennsbury School District Elementary Festival Strings
Improving the Ensemble Playing Habits of Your String Players
Description: Playing in an ensemble provides students with a unique and powerful people-connecting experience. This session builds upon the Content Area 2E – Ensemble Skills section of the ASTA String Curriculum. Playing skills are consolidated into three areas, Rhythm, Intonation, and Artistry. As an ensemble director, what should you do to foster ensemble skills during rehearsals? To build these skills, students need to acquire the habits to practice them, which leads to asking “How do I start and foster these habits?” The Harvard University Graduate School of Education website, and the book, “Tiny Habits” by BJ Fogg, Ph.D of Stanford University, offer some guidance on starting this process. There will be some demonstrations of technology, miscellaneous devices, and other gimmicks. Gordon Music Learning Theory will be referenced. The presenter being a violinist, trumpeter, and singer, can offer adaptations for those who are also band directors and/or choral directors.
