Our Values

UO Horn students are encouraged to be creative and kind

Our horn studio is inclusive. The studio class and social environment is a transitional space for growth. Studio class and private lessons support the following values:

  1. We value vulnerability. Private lessons and studio class are a space clearly set apart for letting go of preconception both from teacher and student. This space allows for mistakes and experimentation. We learn by doing, and nobody is shamed for making mistakes.
  2. We value consistency of relationship. As a professor, my goal is to be reliable and non-reactive. My priority is your learning. My hope is that you will value your time in this space and always show up with an open, curious mind.
  3. Nothing is deified in the horn studio or in lessons. Hero-worshipping is actively discouraged. Everyone who plays the horn exceptionally well started as a beginner and had to grow and make mistakes to improve. Students and teachers are all human beings.
  4. We value disciplined activities that help us grow discover who we are. Various techniques and practices give us direct experiential access to our musicianship, our technique, and our deepest selves. We aren’t told who we are supposed to be, we are given opportunities through disciplined practices to discover our best musical selves.
  5. As a teacher, I am open to other paths of development. If a student has an approach or way of thinking that works for them, that’s great! There are many ways to succeed. I am also actively learning in this environment, and I love it when a student offers a fresh idea or insight about horn playing or musicianship!

 

Mission and Vision of the UO School of Music and Dance:

Mission

The University of Oregon School of Music and Dance has a threefold mission:

  • To identify and attract a diverse pool of the highest level of dedicated and striving musicians, dancers and scholars and assist them in reaching their full potential;
  • To enrich students’ lives with the arts of music and dance, offering a dynamic curriculum for those seeking a robust liberal arts education;
  • To serve as an educational and cultural resource for the University of Oregon, the local community, and the state of Oregon.

Vision

  • Our teaching is engaged, inclusive, and research-led. We look to cultivate a synergy between academic and creative pursuits.
  • We welcome risk-takers. We strive to experiment and invest in new creations while critically examining existing work.
  • We look for opportunities to share music-dance knowledge and value all lived experience, all forms of education and all fields of study that inform our artistic pursuits. We work to build and maintain a supportive environment so that our musicians and dancers feel safe to explore and flourish.
  • The community is our classroom. Our area is full of off-campus arts organizations, performance venues, and creative opportunities, connecting student artists with the skills and information they need to effect positive change within their communities and move the fields of music and dance forward.

When we are open to discovery, we can make cool stuff–like this!