My background covers a wide range within the arts. I have degrees in performance, critical writing, and teaching from both European and American institutions.
In the years that I have taught at Hamline University in Saint Paul, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Normandale Community College in Bloomington, at various music schools in The Netherlands, and privately, my students and colleagues have come to know me as a compassionate, enthusiastic, and approachable teacher. Recurring qualities that my students have highlighted in their evaluations are patience, organization, and presentation, with engaging teaching methods that are rich in demonstration and encourage thinking ‘outside of the box’. My classes have become known to be enjoyable because they involve creative activities in combination with the more traditional methods.
The secondary area of my Doctor of Musical Arts degree is in pedagogy and education. In combination with 17 years of experience in teaching, during which over a 1000 students received my guidance, this concentration has given me a solid basis to work from. I try to cultivate all-round musicianship, as well as critical thinking and imaginative playing. This corresponds with my own approach as a performer.
I have worked with students from a variety of backgrounds, as well as those with mental disabilities and learning disabilities. I enjoy the challenge of finding a different solution for each individual’s musical problems, and it is in the reciprocal nature of teaching that I find rewarding experiences each day. I believe my own culturally diverse background and open personality make it relatively easy for a large body of students to connect with me and vice versa.
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