Studio Information
Studio Structure & Policies
My private studio is administered through the University of Arkansas Community Music School. Working within this structure provides a supportive, well-equipped teaching environment and allows students to be part of a larger musical community. In addition to regular lessons, students benefit from exposure to the school’s faculty and performers, gaining insight into a wide range of musical paths and practices.
Studio policies follow those of the University of Arkansas Community Music School with one additional expectation: all students are required to maintain a Lesson Notebook. This notebook is an essential part of my teaching approach and is outlined in detail below.
University of Arkansas Community Music School Private Lesson Policies.
If you are interested in lessons you can contact me here.
Studio Outcomes & Long-Term Growth
Students in my studio come from a wide range of backgrounds and pursue many different paths. Some have gone on to professional careers as performers and educators, while others have carried their musical practice alongside work in fields such as medicine, business, and engineering. I also work with adult learners—including professionals and executives—who return to music after years away and are looking to reconnect with their artistic lives in a meaningful way.
During their time in the studio, students regularly earn placements in honor bands, ensembles, and auditions. Just as importantly, they learn how to integrate music into their lives in a way that can adapt over time. The goal is not to train musicians for a single outcome, but to help them build a relationship with their instrument that can evolve with their interests, responsibilities, and goals—so that music remains something they can return to, rather than something they leave behind.
Lesson Notebook
Why a Lesson Notebook?
Consistent, intentional practice is one of the most important factors in a musician’s long-term growth. To support that work, all students use a Lesson Notebook as part of their weekly lessons.
The Lesson Notebook serves as both a lesson record and a practice journal. It helps create clarity around weekly goals, supports accountability between lessons, and encourages students to think about how they practice—not just how much. This approach is influenced by ideas from The Musician’s Way by Gerald Klickstein and is designed to help students build habits they can carry with them throughout their musical lives.
The notebook is meant to support:
Clear direction — each lesson establishes specific, focused goals
Intentional practice — students learn how to plan, test, and adjust their work
Visible progress — growth is documented over time for students, parents, and teacher
Ultimately, the goal is ownership. The Lesson Notebook helps students take responsibility for their learning while building confidence and independence as musicians.
How to Use the Lesson Notebook
The Lesson Notebook is a working document that we’ll return to every week. Think of it as a guide rather than an assignment—something that helps make practice time more effective and less frustrating.
1. Weekly Lesson Overview
At the start of each lesson, we’ll outline:
Lesson goals — specific skills, concepts, or sections of music to focus on
Assignments — clear, manageable practice priorities for the week
Teacher notes — reminders, strategies, or ideas to keep in mind while practicing
Between lessons: review this section during your planning sessions to help map out your practice time and set priorities before you begin playing.
2. Daily Practice Journal
For each practice session, take a few minutes to record:
Date and time — when you practiced and for how long
Warm-up — scales, exercises, or etudes, plus a brief reflection
What felt solid?
What needs more attention?
Repertoire — pieces and specific sections worked on (for example, mm. 12–24)
What strategies did you use? (slow practice, metronome, chunking, etc.)
Did anything click? Did anything remain challenging?
End each entry with a short reflection:
What improved today?
What didn’t go as expected?
What should change in my plan for tomorrow?
Based on this reflection, update your next practice session so your work continues to respond to what actually happened during that day’s practice.
3. Weekly Reflection
Each week, we’ll take time in your lesson to review progress and adjust goals using questions like:
What did I accomplish this week?
What challenges came up, and how did I work through them?
What should my focus be next week?
This reflection helps connect daily practice decisions to longer-term growth.
4. Bring the Notebook to Every Lesson
Your Lesson Notebook should come with you to every lesson. I’ll review entries regularly to offer feedback, refine practice strategies, and help adjust goals as needed. Consistent use of the notebook makes lessons more focused and practice more productive.
Notebook Recommendation
There is no required notebook, but I’ve found the Notabl_ journal to work especially well for this kind of planning and reflection. It offers a clean, flexible layout that supports both structured notes and open-ended journaling.
If you choose to use Notabl_, you can use the code NWP at checkout to receive 15% off. New Works Project also receives a small contribution from each purchase. Notabl_ is a musician-owned company that produces a high-quality product.
University of Arkansas
Parking
The best place to park for lessons on the University of Arkansas Campus for lessons is in the Stadium Parking Garage. This garage is off of Stadium Dr, behind the Bud Walton Residence Hall across the street from the Donald W Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Payment is required in numbered parking spots from 8am to 8pm on weekdays.
If you are just dropping your student off, you can do so at the south entrance to the building off of McIlroy Ave across from the greek theatre. Follow dickson street up the hill and turn right at McIlroy Avenue. (It’s the only right turn at the top of the hill.) Parking near the music building is limited to 2 metered spots that only accept quarters and have a 30 minute minimum.
Northwest Arkansas Community College Parking
Parking at NWACC is much easier to find. There is open parking in the outer ring of the parking lot of Burns Hall or in the Parking Garage on the backside of the building. Parking close to the building is reserved for parking permits, and are patrolled regularly by NWACC security.
Once inside Burns Hall, if you entered from the main entrance next to the library go right. Continue to follow the hallway to the left and go past the vending machines and restrooms until reach a lobby on the right side. That lobby contains the elevator and stairwell that will take you up to the music department.
I try my best of have an assigned room for each lesson. However, make up lessons, campus events, and other faculty can sometimes hinder my ability to do so. If the lessons won’t be in the usual location, I will find you in the hallway, guide you to the new location and let you know if the change is permanent.
