Clarinet
Education
Brian earned a B.M.E from Florida State University, a M.M. from Baylor University, and a D.M.A. from Catholic University of America.
Performance and Teaching Experience
An experienced musician, Brian is a former member of the United States Air Force Band, 257th Army Band, the Georgetown Quartet and Waco Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to teaching at Levine, Brian is on faculty at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, VA teaching applied clarinet. Prior to that, Brain was the Professor of Clarinet at George Mason University for nine years.
Brian has had seven articles published in “The Instrumentalist” and performed solo at the 2008 Clarinet Association Conference.
At Levine
Brian has been on the Levine faculty since 2000 teaching private clarinet instruction and honors chamber coaching.
“My favorite part of Levine is the variety of opportunities available to students of every level and age. Music isn’t meant to be confined to the practice studio. It needs to be shared and explored.”
Teaching Philosophy and Approach
“I am strongly committed to teaching. I seek to engage new clarinetists and strive for us both to be mutually invested in our lessons. I aim to become their guide on a joint exploration rather than the active/passive-teacher/student roles. Education works best when the student is enthralled in the subject matter. Once we’ve discovered what interests them, we begin building a foundation on that. I try to leverage the student’s strengths and interests to explore the areas that need attention, especially those that are challenging. I love presenting topics in a way where the student experiences success and discovers their value. Ultimately, success and enjoyment rely on preparation. If a student arrives unprepared, neither of us will enjoy our time together. This is where a partnership between parent and student is vital.
For the advancing student I groom them to become their own teacher by cultivating a solid foundation and adding concepts incrementally and methodically. I am fortunate to have a broad repertoire of traditional and nontraditional music with which I can introduce and reinforce concepts and skills. I subscribe to the belief that “the God is in the details,” meaning that the real joy in learning comes from mastering the fine details and subtleties of our art. While I have a million different ways I can teach a concept, I love it when students come to me with something they’ve discovered on their own or when they ask a question that challenges what we jointly know. My most successful students love this quote of mine: curiosity may have killed the cat, but it saved the clarinetist.”