"I think that what a student may gain from studying in the Woodwind Department here is very broad-based, stylistically speaking. Rock, r&b, funk, jazz, easy listening, acoustic, country and western—the variety of genres that can be covered through studying with various teachers is really broad. I think our students have an advantage."
"I was on the road for several years, and I heard wonderful things about Berklee. When I got the opportunity to come here to study, I found them to be true. The players are here, and we just don't talk about it, we do it. And we show you how to do it, so you can go pursue your career with a level of confidence you wouldn't otherwise have."
"Times have changed a lot, and the music industry has changed a lot, but if you're a really well-rounded player, the industry and the times can continue to change as much as they want to; you'll be fine. My personal musical passion is within the jazz idiom, be it mainstream or straight-ahead; however, being well rounded and versatile is what allows me to play a rap gig with a back-beat track and smoke it. The skills are always applicable."
"The techniques that I use are tried and true. They don't work because I say they work, they work because they work. I've used them; thousands of musicians have used them and rely on their effectiveness. It's a craft. The improvisational approaches that I relay to my students are theoretically explainable, of course, but it's the practical and artistic applications that I really want to get across to them. They can learn from the mistakes I've already made. I can help them avoid the pitfalls. They don't have to go through trial and error."
