I grew up in a modest household in central Alaska. My parents did not have a lot of resources, but they thought it was important for us kids to learn to play musical instruments. I learned to play the clarinet from 4th through 7th grade, and while I did not continue with the instrument, the skills I learned during that time have had a massive impact on my life. Learning to play the clarinet, in tandem with my choral training, I learned to read music, eventually leading me to learn to play the guitar. This training in high school led to my first teaching position, as I was hired to teach High School Music in 2017. This experience brought me into contact with and led me to join the Houston Symphony Chorus, an organization I have participated in since 2018. While I no longer play clarinet in a band, I still own one and play it from time to time.

As a musician, I know the importance of practicing not only during rehearsal but also individually. As any musician can attest, learning an instrument takes a lot of time, practice, and dedication. What excites me most about being a Practicing Musician Sales Representative is that our curriculum and software are free, and our micro-tutoring and instrument purchasing are affordable. I would have found it an incredibly powerful tool if I had access to these resources as a novice clarinet player. I remember countless times as a pre-teen, trying to figure out how to play more complicated pieces or trying to learn new fingering positions on my clarinet and giving up due to frustration or confusion. I didn’t have anyone to give me one-on-one instruction or to show me the correct techniques for mastering my instrument. This can be a major deterrent for the young musician. The Practicing Musician helps to solve that problem by providing short videos on technique and music theory. We also provide inexpensive micro-tutoring, giving students personalized instruction, which most band and orchestra teachers aren’t capable of.

After teaching music for a year, I taught other subjects, specifically social studies, which I studied in college. I have taught in both Charter and Public schools since 2017. My experience as an educator has given me a lot of insight into the power and effectiveness of one-on-one tutoring, using technology in the classroom, giving and receiving timely feedback, and instruction differentiation, all of which the Practicing Musician employs in its various products. Students learn best when they are working towards mastery and when they can take ownership of their learning. As an educator, I would highly recommend the curriculum and methodology utilized by the Practicing Musician – whether it’s the personalized assignments, the professional instruction, the feedback tools, or the affordable micro tutoring – these are the types of tools that help students to learn by mastering a skill, not simply working to pass a test.

While I attended public school growing up, I took several classes as independent study courses through the home school program in Alaska. Furthermore, having grown up in a state where homeschooling was common, I see the value in this product. Most of my friends who grew up in homeschooling did not have the opportunity to learn an instrument, and even those who did were limited to the instruments their parents played. With our website currently offering curriculum and tutoring for fifteen instruments with more on the way, this gives greater opportunities to students and families who choose to homeschool. And in many states, there are funds set aside to pay for the micro-tutoring. I am just over the moon at the prospect of educating families about these resources and helping them access a world of music for their students and their communities.