With 10 years of teaching experience under my belt, I can tailor lessons to meet the needs of any student. My current students range from age 5 through adult, and all of them genuinely love to play the flute! I like to give my students the opportunity to perform in biannual recitals, a fun experience for everyone involved.

As a performer of both classical and contemporary music, I often like to give my students a taste of modern techniques such as improvising, singing and playing, and multiphonics in addition to traditional flute playing and repertoire. I believe in the idea of the "modern flutist", meaning the flutist who is trained to be versatile, artistic, and inquisitive from the get-go.

Past faculty positions include Douglaston School of Music, Walnut Valley School District, and Irvine Art and Music. I currently teach through Brooklyn Music Lessons as well as maintaining my own studio. In 2006, I was the recipient of a Graduate Teaching Fellowship through the University of Oregon. While holding this position, I instructed the flute pedagogy course for Music Education majors and non-music majors and gave individual lessons to enrolled non-majors.

My main influences as a teacher are John Barcellona (author of the "Flute Doctor" series in Flute Talk Magazine) and Robert Dick (author of the seminal work, "The Other Flute").

To learn about my accomplishments as a performer, please visit my website. I am conveniently located off the B and Q trains in Brooklyn.

Credentials include the following:

* D.M.A. Candidate CUNY Graduate Center
* M.M. New York University
* B.M. California State University Long Beach; Bob Cole Conservatory

Reviews

• June 11, 2011

  

  I found Sarah on Craig's List a few months back. I've had many music teachers since I was very young (I'm 38), and know what a rare thing it is to find someone like Sarah. I used to be an active amateur musician when younger, but got caught up in a busy career for too many years. Just recently, my business partner bought me a Western classical flute as a gift; and, after 5 lessons with Sarah, my love and passion for music is fully re-invigorated. I really like that as a teacher, she seems to understand the importance of balancing skill improvement with positive feedback from working on really beautiful pieces. She's also patient (that's a big plus), and exceptionally knowledgeable. I also haven't gotten bored once while playing the exercises that she's recommended (which to me is a sign of experience in how well a teacher can tailor material/homework to their student). In short, thanks to having found Sarah, music is back in my life to stay - my emotions and creative brain are on fire, and I feel like I'm learning very quickly.

  – Chris

• June 10, 2011

  

  I feel so lucky to have found Sarah! My daughter has been taking lessons with her for over a year and it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Sarah not only teaches the fundamentals, but injects creativity and modern techniques into each lesson. She also goes above and beyond to give her students a perspective of the musicians world--arranging recitals and inviting students to flute events and performances around the city.

  – Jane

Write a review

Question and answer