Teaching
I am a member of the teaching faculty at the University of Wisconsin’s Mead Witter School of Music. Please check out the video below to learn about UW’s Bassoon Studio and more about my teaching philosophy. If you are a prospective student, please feel free to reach out to schedule a free trial lesson!
eekatz@wisc.edu
The backbone of my musical philosophy has always been that extensive performance and collaborative project opportunities lead to more competence, confidence, and consistency as both a teacher and as a student. My main role as a creative mentor is to encourage a sense of curiosity, wonder, and joy in my students for a lifelong relationship with music making. My teaching style is process oriented rather than results oriented, although results often follow from being deeply invested in the process. I believe in honing in on the fundamentals of playing bassoon: tone production, slow practice, scales, articulation, really the building blocks of music. I encourage my students to put their foundation into the music rather than the other way around.
I believe that a bassoon studio thrives when learning together. By fostering a non-judgmental environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, I aim to cultivate a sense of community, particularly through the reed-making process, to help prevent feelings of isolation and frustration. Because I do not adhere to a one-size-fits-all approach in teaching bassoon, my goal as a mentor is to deeply understand each student’s unique aspirations and goals, both as an artist and as an instrumentalist. I strive to ensure that students always understand the 'how' and 'why' behind what they are doing.
Chamber music has been instrumental in shaping my approach to teaching, emphasizing clear communication, collaboration, and understanding individuals from diverse backgrounds. I believe it prepares students to excel in all ensemble settings by fostering skills in leadership, active listening, and respect for their colleagues. As a pedagogue, I am passionate about discovering and commissioning new pieces for unconventional instrumentations, with the goal of bringing the bassoon to the forefront of the chamber music landscape.
One of my guiding principles as a performer is that the bassoon should emulate the human voice. As a teacher, my primary goals are to help students pursue artistic excellence, discover their unique and captivating musical voices, foster personal growth, and build relationships with like-minded collaborators. Through my own multifaceted career, I aim to expose students to the diverse career paths within classical music and encourage a growth mindset. I believe that a professional journey is rarely linear and usually involves a collage of experiences that ultimately create an artist’s sense of fulfillment and purpose.