WHY DO I TEACH?
I teach because I love to learn. If a teacher is not a life-long learner, then he or she can not be a life-long effective teacher. As cliché as it may sound, I learn from my students almost on a daily basis.
If we rise at daybreak and open the window, close our eyes, and sit still, we can hear a literal symphony of nature from the birds, the wind, and even the distant, fading sounds of last night's performers like the crickets or an owl. Often we are so caught up in our daily routines, we miss this simple but instructive pleasure.
Similarly, if we can sit still in our "teaching" long enough to relinquish our perceived roles as all-knowing, omnipotent sages, and listen for the subtle gems and profound observations of the world through fresher eyes and less tainted ears, we might be surprised, if not awestruck at the things we can add to our toolbox as teachers and as learners from our students.
I teach because I love what I teach and most important, WHO I teach.
If we rise at daybreak and open the window, close our eyes, and sit still, we can hear a literal symphony of nature from the birds, the wind, and even the distant, fading sounds of last night's performers like the crickets or an owl. Often we are so caught up in our daily routines, we miss this simple but instructive pleasure.
Similarly, if we can sit still in our "teaching" long enough to relinquish our perceived roles as all-knowing, omnipotent sages, and listen for the subtle gems and profound observations of the world through fresher eyes and less tainted ears, we might be surprised, if not awestruck at the things we can add to our toolbox as teachers and as learners from our students.
I teach because I love what I teach and most important, WHO I teach.
As an Artist
Music has always been a part of my life. Growing up as a child in the 1960's, becoming a teen in the early 1970's then as a young adult in the 1980's, I lived through the greatest two decades for music making this world has ever known.
I was privileged to come of age under a plethora of musical styles ranging from Motown, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Rock and even Country as the likes of Glen Campbell, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash were making their presence known on popular radio with mainstream hits. I began my musical journey literally as a child in 1964, when the Beatles made their famous appearance on the Sunday night Ed Sullivan variety Show. I was fascinated with the sound of the group and soon began asking for toy guitars for Christmas and birthdays. By the time I got to the 5th grade, I signed up for band and asked for a saxophone but instead I was given a trumpet. I didn't like the horn but having little choice in the matter, I began learning how to play music. By age 13, in 1971, the neighborhood kids formed a band and I jumped at the chance. The rest is history. I fell in love with making music and watching people enjoy the music I was making. Throughout middle and high school I played in various bands covering songs by James Brown, Kool and the Gang, the Stylistics, Ohio Players, Three Dog Night, Parliament Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Earth, Wind and Fire, Isaac Hayes, and so many more greats of the time. It wasn't until I was 16, that a friend of mine who was a year older than I and who played saxophone in the school band, introduced me to jazz music. I was immediately drawn to the idiom. I first heard Lee Morgan, a great trumpeter on record and knew that this was the sound and approach I wanted to incorporate into my own playing. From that point on as I learned the craft better, I was afforded opportunities to play in Europe and many venues here in America. I have had opportunities to record with some fine musicians and record two albums of my own. To this day, my journey yet continues, and it will until I am no longer here on planet Earth. I love music. I love teaching it. I love students. |
There are no wrong notes”-Miles Davis |
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