"There's a lot to be said for both being in a band and being a soloist. But I'd been in bands the whole time I was growing up, so when I started teaching at Berklee, I really wanted to teach in a band situation."
"My parents were both musicians and it was kind of expected when I was growing up that you were going to play an instrument. So when I was 7 I started playing the piano, and I was probably a freshman or sophomore in high school when I got my first gig ever: Playing with my parents' band. Shortly after that, I started my own band."
"Music is something that's as individual as each student, and my goal is to bring that out in my students. Whether it's their songwriting skills or their singing skills, or just trying to put everything together, I try to bring out their individuality."
"If students sing at all, or they would like to, I encourage that. My experience has taught me that's it's very important to do as many things in the music business as possible; if you're a singer who plays, or a player who sings, you're going to have many more opportunities to find work."
"I love seeing students make progress. Sometimes even within one semester you see a student make a huge leap, between the beginning of the semester and the end of the semester. I love seeing them grow, trying new things and really putting themselves out there to become better musicians."
"I love seeing students accomplishing things that they didn't even think were possible, seeing them grow as part of a group, and especially seeing them become a leader within the group. That's really important to me."
