What excites you most about working at Dublin?  I am excited about the opportunity to work in a community wherein creativity and honor are integral components of every student's education. I've been teaching under the semester system for fourteen years so working with trimesters will be new! And unlike places I've lived at before, Dublin School and the surrounding community ooze with music, from folk music in our neighboring towns to performances by members of The Walden School, a nationally recognized summer music program on the Dublin School campus. It makes my job easier when there is already so much support for music!

Have you changed at all since you came to Dublin? How so? I've become more connected with nature...just count the bug bites!

Why do you teach and what do you love about your discipline? I've never questioned why I teach, just as I don't consider teaching a 9-5 job. Teaching is my passion. I love that music can touch people in many ways. Even more, I love the magic that happens during the process from rehearsal to stage.

What animates you? I am animated by the challenge of learning new music or teaching a new topic, particularly if it's a work or concept that students find difficult.

What do you do outside of school that enhances your teaching? Or, what do you do outside of school that would surprise your students? I'm a total music geek so I listen to music and read about music every minute I can. Almost as much, I also love to cook and often imagine running a small restaurant that serves up not only the best arroz-con-pollo in the area but also the most enjoyable live music around.

What's unusual about the way you approach your subject? This was a tough question to answer so I asked previous students of mine, and their response was that I teach with a musicianship approach. That is to say, I teach to develop a more "wholesome" musician. In performance classes, for example, I believe it is important that students not only be able to play, but also have the skills to comfortably and effectively play a variety of genres with an understanding of the compositional elements and the relevant historical information.

What do you do to push kids outside their comfort zone in the classroom? I encourage mistakes in my classroom, so long as growth emerges from the mistakes. I also encourage my students to forget about the rest of their day so that their heads are clear once we get creating. Unbounded thinking only happens when students are fully consumed by the topic of study--that's when the most successful music is accomplished.

How do you teach to "the range", both the high achievers and those that are challenged by your discipline? Every student is assessed on set criteria specific to the course; however, no one student is graded in relation to the work of another student. Therefore, each student's grade is based on his or her progress. I also write our every student's own part to fit and challenge their individual skill set.

What is the most surprising thing that happened in your classroom?During a listening exercise in my AP Theory class, a student noticed a single wrong note in a professionally recorded Beethoven piano concerto passage. I had listened to the same recording dozens of times and had never noticed the error. Needless to say, that student had an impressive ear for music.

Why is it fun to be in your classroom? For starters, it's music class. It also helps that I allow students to have defined leadership roles in my classroom, from allowing them to select works for the concerts to developing student directors. Lastly, my classroom is inclusive and I make the effort to connect with my students and their interests outside of our classroom. So, for example, yes I Iisten to Lady Gaga.

How did you chose Dublin School? I like to think we chose each other. Personally, I was most impressed with the school's leadership, diversity of our student body, and the natural beauty of the school grounds.