My job is to be your teacher, not your tutor. That is, I will instruct and guide you, offer you suggestions and information with the ultimate goal of making you a better performer on your instrument. I am not here to help you practice your band or orchestra music.
Your objective during your four-year career here at CSU, Long Beach should be to learn as much as possible about your instrument, from the basic care of it to the highest levels of professional performance. You are expected to master scales and arpeggios in all keys, the bel canto style, double and triple tongue, clefs, solo and orchestral literature for your instrument, as well as to acquire a thorough knowledge of the different historical and national performance styles of the music you encounter.
Grading:
Final semester grades are based on two factors: 1) lesson preparation, and 2) a final Jury. You are expected to make all lesson appointments on time, warmed up and ready to play. Each week you will have material assigned that must be prepared (i.e. practiced, and learned) to the best of your ability for the next lesson. Inadequate preparation or lack of sufficient progress through lesson materials will adversely affect your weekly lesson grade.
The final Jury is a performance (usually an accompanied solo piece) for members of the School of Music faculty. The faculty committee submits a grade that, when averaged with your lesson grade, becomes the final grade for the semester.
Other considerations:
- Be courteous. Address your teachers by their last names. If you must miss a lesson, give at least 24-hours notice by calling my home number and leaving a message.
- Your state-paid stipend for lessons is the equivalent of $550.00. Think about how you would approach your lessons if you were paying this amount yourself.
- Dress appropriately. Please wear shoes, and leave hats outside. No gang attire.
- No gum or unfinished lunches in the room.
- Do the dirty work on your instrument prior to the lesson. Have the slides greased, the valves oiled and everything in working order before you arrive.
- Avoid photocopied music. You're an adult - buy it.
- Mark your music in pencil. Use marks that are meaningful to you. Remember that the marks you make may have to be changed or removed by someone else.
- Pronunciation is important. Learn the correct way to say a composer's name, the title of a piece, and the words therein that tell you how to perform the music.
- You may tape the lessons and/or take notes if you wish. Listening to yourself play is often revealing and will allow you to hear such things as bad tone, improper phrasing, poor intonation, bad articulation and sloppy playing.
- In the event you miss a lesson, make-ups will be at my home in Tujunga and at an extra charge. Allow one hour driving time each way - more during rush hour.