Higher education is amongst the most important life experiences for future professionals.  There has been a proliferation of degree programs and institutions granting degrees throughout higher education in the United States.  Given this, it is increasingly important that future professionals glean valuable experiences in their study that arm them with tools and resources which afford them the opportunity to be competitive and successful in an ever-more-challenging job market.  The role of the teacher in guiding the student toward this goal is critical.

My teaching philosophy is strongly informed by my decision to make instruction at the collegiate level my professional ambition.  Most simply stated, I teach because I have a passion for students, music, and learning.  Educating people of all ages is, in my view, one of the most meaningful pursuits one can undertake with their career and life.  The opportunity to guide students to deeper understanding of subject material and better prepare them to be successful professionals and societal contributors is exciting.

Broadly speaking, I teach music.  Many times I have found that, through my teaching in the discipline of music at the collegiate level, I teach life and professional skills through music.  Specifically, I teach concert band ensembles, marching ensembles, pep bands, conducting courses, and courses in music education.  My experiences at Baylor University, Michigan State University, Georgia Southern University, and The University of Southern Mississippi have afforded me the opportunity to teach students of varying experience and ability levels, from novice performers through doctoral-level artists and beginning through graduate level conductors.  This broad range of student engagement has informed my teaching in innumerable ways and has led me to develop strategies that meet the needs of students of all ability levels.

In all areas of my teaching I focus on the individual accountability of the student.  When considering that individual accountability is among the most important facets of being a functional professional, this concept is one that I reinforce constantly in every setting in which I teach.  As an ensemble conductor, I expect that students prepare and bring to rehearsal their musical and intellectual best.  It is my role, at that point, to guide the individuals into a cohesive whole with the ultimate aim of pushing students beyond their perceived potential to achieve the highest musical result possible.  As a teacher of conducting, I find it important to address the technical, interpersonal, and musical challenges of being on the podium.  I attempt to do this through providing students direct engagement with a small ensemble, guided reading of appropriate materials, and deep discussion about the topic.  Teaching conducting is a very active, hands-on activity requiring significant commitment from the teacher to each individual student.  Teaching in this area mirrors applied study in that the instructor must evaluate the individual needs of each student and create an individualized plan for the development of the skills and deficiencies present in each individual.

Measuring the effectiveness of my teaching is critical to the process of continuous development and re-evaluation of my teaching methods and approaches.  In ensemble performance, this measurement is relatively simple.  Public performance affords the opportunity for measurement of teacher effectiveness and student learning at regular intervals.  Engaging faculty members in discussion about strengths and weaknesses of public performance is an important part of this evaluation.  Honest, objective conversation about student performance in ensembles as well as how the ensemble is meeting the needs of individual students is a dialogue of extreme import that should occur between ensemble conductors and applied teachers.  It is also critical to engage students in conversations about the evaluation of public performances of ensembles in which they participate through review of recordings and discussion about the rehearsal process leading to a concert.  Further, the effectiveness of my teaching in the conducting classroom or applied conducting lessons is done through objective evaluation of the students and their ability to be successful in front of the ensemble with which they are working, whether they are conducting classroom ensembles or major university ensembles.  Additionally, affording graduate conductors opportunities to attend workshops and clinics at other institutions and getting feedback from other members of the conducting profession on the development and growth of students can be very informative as one evaluates their effectiveness and develops continuing plans for student growth.

Teaching is my profession, vocation, and passion.  I have a zeal for students and learning that drives my continued desire to focus and improve my skill set as a teacher.  Teaching in higher education is a privilege, responsibility, and investment in the future of our students and society.