I have studied with some of the finest trombonists in the world, performed in the nation's top orchestras, and am firmly committed to excellence in the trombone field. Music is one of the most indescribably powerful and moving things in the entire world, and I want students to, above all, simply enjoy playing and experiencing this gift. The trombone is, of course, merely a means to an end in this regard; yet its rich, powerful, as well as versatile sound is what particularly draws me to it. My approach to playing the trombone is simple: producing the greatest sound on every note, as easily as possible. I think it is necessary to have the best sound that you can possibly make on the trombone in your head from day one, and to this end, I strive to play as much as possible for and along with the student so that they may develop their own ideal sound concept. I couple this with instruction on all the other fundamentals of trombone playing and music making, such as technique, scales, rhythms, intonation, breathing, etc. But never forget that the ultimate goal is to perform the music the way it goes and to simply sing through the instrument. By this I do not not necessarily mean playing all the correct notes, but instead performing the music in the correct style and context as the composer intended, and always playing musical lines. Remember that music is to be shared with others, and that making a statement with the music we play, in a way expressing our deepest emotions, is what this is all about!