Clarinet with William R.

I have been taking lessons with William for over a year. What a blessing to receive private lessons from this tremendously talented and seasoned clarinetist. He is extremely patient and really cares about his students.

Great lesson and great teacher. What an accomplished clarinetist. He knows how to make beautiful music!

I studied clarinet with William Rappaport when I was a graduate student in music education at Georgia State University. He may be the most deeply musical person I have ever known. My sense was that, though he was a performer of the absolute highest caliber, he was equally passionate about teaching. When I initially contacted Bill to schedule lessons, I explained that I was visually impaired. I wanted to share this information with him upfront in the event that he had questions or concerns about teaching me. I remember him saying clearly, “I am aware of the possibilities.” That was all I needed to hear to feel comfortable entering his studio. Bill encouraged me to take on any challenge in the clarinet literature that interested me. He used every possible metaphor he could think of to communicate ideas that were more easily accessed if you could simply look at the printed page. He was always warm and friendly, but focused, never wasting one second of our time together. Following my work with Bill, I attended The University of Michigan where, though I was a music education doctoral student, I was instantly welcomed into one of the clarinet studios. Bill’s creative work with me played an enormous role in making that happen. Now, I am a community college professor, teaching a variety of classes including a studio class for instrumental music students. I often find myself using the same examples Bill employed with me to help my current students. I am profoundly grateful for his unyielding commitment to my growth when I was a student of his.