"Hello! My name is Rob, and I am a professional educator and trombonist. I earned a Master of Music degree Northwestern University and my Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard, both with a focus on trombone performance. I have experience tutoring, teaching private trombone lessons, and working with groups of students. I have worked with students of all ability levels and ages, from pre-Kindergarten through adult.

In all my teaching, I try to keep rote memorization of facts to a minimum. Instead, we will focus on learning about general patterns, systems, and trends. Once students understands that framework--whether it is a historical period, a common chord progression, or a musical phrase--they have an easier time remembering specific examples, and are better prepared to apply the concept in new situations. Instead of giving the students the answers to their questions, I work on giving them the tools to figure out the answers themselves.

This same approach applies in my lesson teaching. Whether the student is a beginner or has been playing for many years, my goal is to provide the tools they need to self-correct while practicing and become their own teacher. We will focus on learning the fundamental elements of musicality students need to express themselves and convey the spirit of each piece, while working to improve their trombone technique as a means of playing more expressively.

During my time in school, I studied and performed with many of the world's leading brass musicians and teachers. I do my best to pass what I have learned from them onto my students. I also completed both fundamental and advanced coursework in music theory and music history, including classes with a focus on counterpoint, analysis, 20th century music, and much more.

I am passionate about helping students succeed, whatever success means to them! Whether you are preparing for the AP music theory exam, an audition, a performance, or are just interested in learning more about music or picking up a new instrument, I am excited to work w" less...