Music Teacher; New York City Department of Education, Bronx Compass High School September 2018 – present, Bronx, NY Work at this urban public high school includes: • Design and implementation of a culturally-relevant music composition and keyboarding course for general education high school students, • Technology-centered instruction to facilitate and scaffold music learning and creation for first-year music students, • Increase student understanding of musical, cultural and historical context through listening, reading and discussion of current artists and music journalism.
Examples of recent student projects are available at the following link: BCHS student projects.
Adjunct professor; New York University September 2018 – present, New York, NY I teach the music education course, Strings Practicum, at NYU Steinhardt. Through workshop and peer-teaching activities, each future music educator experiences the learning and teaching of high and low orchestral string instruments. Rehearsing as a complete orchestra, participants also perform, lesson plan, and peer-teach/conduct typical first-year orchestral repertoire.
Director, Instrumental Music; Xavier High School August 2007 – June 2017, New York, NY Work at this 160-year-old Jesuit college-preparatory school includes: • Direct all ensembles and manage all academic and budgetary aspects of an all-jazz music program, • Design and implementation of a comprehensive four-year jazz repertoire-based course sequence, • Implementation of an audio production curriculum and studio facility created within four years and within the regular annual instrumental music budget and capital expenditure allocations, • Introduction of "flipped classroom" learning using instructional videos and entirely self-produced music-minus-one-style play-along recordings for student learning beyond the classroom, • Increased student enrollment, participation, ownership, motivation, and accountability through audio and video recording projects distributed online and in CD format.
Examples of teaching media and recent student performances are available at the following links: "Flipped" piano lesson:entirely self-produced using Screenflow, Logic and Photoshop, "Flipped" guitar lesson: entirely self-produced using Screenflow, Logic and Photoshop, Student large ensemble performance:entirely self-produced using Logic and Premier, in addition to directing the ensemble, Student small ensemble: entirely self-produced using Logic and Premier, in addition to directing the ensemble.
Lecturer (1999-2001), teaching assistant (1996-99); University of Miami, Frost School of Music August 1996 – May 2001, Coral Gables, FL
I taught studio electric and upright bass, jazz ensembles and jazz history courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Adjunct professor; Miami Dade College August 1996 – June 2000 Miami, FL While attending the doctoral program at University of Miami full-time, I taught several contact hours each week at the New World-Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College (then Miami Dade Community College). Courses taught were studio electric bass, jazz ensembles and jazz history courses at the undergraduate level.