Teaching goals and philosophy:

 

Teaching is an important responsibility and a privilege and has been one of my most significant rewards. It is a skill that requires continuous feedback, self-analysis, improvement and modernizing.

 

My teaching is continuously evolving. I learn from my students and colleagues every day, as I have learned from all my former teachers, through their lessons, and by their performances. The teacher that I am today is also a result of my interactions with famous guitarists, other musicians, and artists in general.

 

Overall, my goals are to be an inspiring teacher and a role model for my students. They are a source of inspiration for me.

 

I believe in positive reinforcement. I genuinely think it works better than negative reinforcement. Encouraging the right behaviors, good performances, varied programs, technique improvements, by giving the students recognition, is one of my most valued tools.

 

After 20 plus years teaching the guitar technique, I have found a common problem: the students do not know how to practice. I believe in teaching my students how, where, what, and when to practice, what type of music they should listen to, and the importance of the fine arts to reinforce their ideas for better performance. I do all my best to provide my students with a varied repertoire that inspires, develops skills, entertains and cultivates the spirit and soul.

 

I try to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to learn as much as possible from each other. I believe in sharing stories from my own experience as a performer, exposing my ups and downs, to helping them see their situation in mine. There is no substitute for a good story for capturing musical student’s imagination.

 

I am a disciplined and perseverant person who can’t spend one day without playing the guitar. Finding a beautiful tone, playing with excellent taste, choosing the repertoire the students can master, encouraging them to be the best they can, those are some of the things I will always try to transmit to my students.

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I am committed to acquainting students with a range of literature written for the guitar, and musical literature written for other instruments, commonly performed on the guitar, focusing on elements of style and form, historical background, and performance issues.

 

I am also an advocate to promote chamber music that includes the guitar as a soloist, as well as duets, trios, quartets where the guitar is joined by other instruments, such as flute, violin, cello, etc.

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Through my responsibilities as Chair of the Classical Guitar Program and Artistic Director of Florida Guitar Foundation, I am committed to the education, promotion, and appreciation of the classical guitar, nurturing, and encouraging the next generation of classical guitar concert artists.