Clinics and Workshops

Interactive Student Workshops

Looking to shake up your ensemble with a fresh, engaging experience? Elevate your students' orchestra experience with a customized workshop -available both in-person and virtually.

What I Offer

• Tailored Workshops: From beginners to advanced ensembles, every workshop is customized to match your program's level, musical interests, and specific goals. Workshops are a great way to introduce new skills and experiences, or provide a new perspective on current curricular goals and repertoire.

• Interactive Experiences: Students participate actively in these experiences—no passive observing here! Workshops build confidence and musicianship through hands-on learning, student-centered experiences, and student-led components.

• Inspiring Outcomes: Students will leave workshops feeling accomplished, motivated, and inspired to continue on their musical path. Sessions can culminate in a collaborative performance or a "virtual orchestra performance" video. Learn how to incorporate some workshop materials and methodologies into your upcoming curricular performances.

Sample Workshop Topics

• Preparing for Large Group Performance Evaluation

• Learn a Fiddle Tune by Ear (Celtic, American)

• Creative Group Improvisation (intro to advanced)

• Group arranging and/or student-led arranging

• Fiddle and Folk Styles (Irish, Scottish, Klezmer, Jazz, etc)

• Chordal Literacy- working with a lead sheet

• Jamming in Orchestra

• Focus on current repertoire or particular challenge areas in your ensemble

• Creative Music Making: Sound Circles and Circle Playing (inspired by circle singing)

…and more! I welcome your ideas—let’s create something special.

Logistics & Pricing

• Delivery: In-person (Pittsburgh, PA & surrounding areas), regional travel, or fully virtual.

• Length: Flexible- single class period, 1–3 hours, half-day, full-day, or several days.

• Options: Single workshops, multi-session packages, concert culmination, or virtual performance.

• Pricing: Based on duration, group size, and format. (Contact me with details for a customized quote.)

Let’s talk! Email to start planning a workshop that's just right for your students!

Professional Development and In-Service Clinics

What I Offer

• Engaging and practical professional development sessions designed for ensemble directors, general music teachers, and teaching artists.

• Sessions tailored to your staff’s goals, time, and teaching context

• Practical takeaways and materials you can implement immediately

• An interactive, collaborative atmosphere designed to support both new and experienced educators

• Interdisciplinary and classroom teacher engagement for teaching artists

Sample Workshop Topics

• Incorporating Fiddle & Folk Styles*~

  accessible ways to introduce students to non-classical styles from repertoire, to methodology, to student-led arranging

• A Primer for Teaching by Ear*^

  explore the benefits of including his type of teaching in your ensemble program, strategies and methodologies, and practical applications

• Musical Co-Regulation*^

  explore the concept of co-regulation and its power to calm the chaos in our classrooms and promote connection and focus. Learn how to make it musical and apply it in your classroom tomorrow.

• The Art of Practice - explore ways to educate your students on quality, effective practice methods and encourage more active playing at home.

• Composing, Arranging, and Editing – tools for creating and altering music so that it works specifically for your ensemble

• Diverse Repertoire for Strings – exploring exciting and diverse literature beyond the standard canon.

• Active Listening and Self Evaluation – methods for encouraging active listening and harnessing the power of self-evaluation in the ensemble classroom.

• New Approaches for Teaching Artists - custom lessons, units, and curriculum for teaching artists

*Presented at state music education conferences

^Presented at American String Teachers Association national conference

~Presented for school district in-service professional development

Logistics & Pricing

• Delivery: Fully virtual or in-person (I am local to Pittsburgh, PA & surrounding areas, but will also travel)

• Length: Flexible- single class period, 1–3 hours, half-day, or full-day

• Options: Single workshops, multi-session packages, custom lesson plans or curriculum units

• Pricing: Based on duration, group size, and format. (Contact me with details for a customized quote.)

Let’s talk! Email to start planning an event for your staff or department.

Guest Conductor, Clinician, Adjudicator

Offering

• Serving as guest conductor or clinician for student ensembles such as all-county, district festivals, regional or state ensembles, honor orchestras

  • I specialize in working with elementary age and middle school age ensembles

• Serving as a sectional coach for all-county, district, regional, or state festivals and honor orchestras

• Serving as adjudicator for district, regional, or state performance evaluation or solo-ensemble contests

Sample Past Engagements

• Adjudicator- Illinois District 1 Solo and Ensemble 2010

• Sectional Coach- Guilford County All-County Orchestra (North Carolina) 2022

• String Clinician, Elementary Ensemble- West Virginia Strings Day 2023

• Adjudicator- West Virginia ASTA Solo Competition 2024

• String Clinician, Middle School Ensemble- West Virginia Strings Day 2025