KassandraBassoon
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Teaching Philosophy

 For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about learning new things,  exploring the myriad opportunities and adventures around me, and ultimately sharing that joy  with others. Pursuing my passion of performing on bassoon has not only enhanced my own  knowledge, but also communicated the marvels and expression of all things musical to others. I  discovered the value of creating opportunities that contribute to becoming a mature musician, as  well as cultivating the environment to nurture these goals. From this I have taken away three key concepts that I wish to embody as a musician and an educator, with a goal to instill these  qualities in my students: music is beyond the notes on the page, teach your students to teach  themselves, and how to become a twenty-first-century musician. 

As artists we must fulfill an obligation to represent the music and communicate with our  audience both an authentic representation of the work and our personal interpretation. We start  by playing the music with honesty and communicating the soul of the original work, but music is  beyond the ink on the page. We must engage our audience in and out of the concert hall in order  to connect and build a musical community. To achieve this as an educator, I would suggest that  applied lessons have four components: research, analysis, performance, and outreach. Outreach  is particularly important when growing your presence as a professional, building an audience, or  running private studio. 
I have heard it said throughout my musical career that the best teachers teach their  students to teach themselves. We are all different in the method in which we learn, the pace that  we can ingest new information, and the paths we take to achieve similar goals. The best result  for myself as a teacher is to be able to send my students off with a toolbox full of tips, tricks, and  skills to use in their own musical journey. For example, a collection of rhythmic articulation  “long-short” patterns that can be applied to quickly and efficiently learn any tricky passage. 

Being a twenty-first century musician means that musicians are both performers,  teachers, and entrepreneurs. The music industry and economy has changed drastically over the  past few decades, and our music education standards need to reflect that. Up and coming  musicians Victories in musical technique, expression, and performance are encouraging, but the  challenges that accompany a modern career in music are not always written in books. Students  today, and particularly those in college, are faced with momentous decisions day-after-day, and it  is the duty of their mentors and teachers to support them, encourage them, and guide them in  both their musical and non-musical endeavors. To facilitate this, teachers can pioneer and  promote upcoming fields that highlight subjects including: Alexander Technique, yoga,  musician’s wellness, music student support groups, injury prevention, performance anxiety,  career development, and mental wellness. Through these, our students can apply these tools in  other areas of their lives. Music encourages cultivating the discipline it takes to excel at and  cope with the stresses of anything challenging. 

We overcome life’s fears, anxieties, and trials of many kinds in the same way that we  conquer music on the page. As musicians we are lifelong learners; I am dedicated to developing  additional objectives that will help to support my teaching philosophy. It is my belief that these  principles will work in harmony with any school or professional setting initiative to promote  well-being, build community and expand opportunities, and harness information.

Sincerely, 

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  • Home
  • About
  • Music in the Community
    • Commontime Online Artist
    • Instrument Petting Zoo
  • Listen
  • Lessons
    • Lessons Policies and Studio Guidelines
    • Teaching Philosophy
  • Shop
  • Music Ancestry
  • Commissions and World Premieres
  • Resources
    • Beeswax Bassoon Reeds
    • Average Cost of a Finished Bassoon Reed
    • Stage Management Shortcuts
  • Electronic teaching portfolio
  • Contact