Caitlin & Peter strive to teach beyond the instrument at hand, to establish with their students how music works and promote a deeper understanding of what music is. The goal is not only to see students excel on the instrument of their choice, but to equip them with the ability to transfer these skills to other instruments and ultimately integrate them into everyday life. Music is not just about the sounds that are produced: It's about the art that transcends words or images; it's about building critical thinking skills; it's about learning to communicate in a new way. So, whether students are in it for the art, the intellect, or the emotion, they can be sure that Caitlin & Peter are here to do much more than simply make sure they practice their scales.

From Caitlin:

Every student is an individual and should be treated as such. Because of this, a primary goal in the first few lessons is to discover each student's learning style; from there, I modify my method of teaching to best fit the student's needs while still providing excellent instruction. I begin with classical instruction and build a strong foundation of rudimentary concepts. This solid musical core allows students to diverge more successfully into varying genres. As students express interest in different musical styles, I help them select appropriate pieces to add to their repertoire. Under my instruction, students will learn to express themselves through this beautiful art called music.

From Peter:

My aim is to discover and develop each student's unique musical style while expanding their skills on the instrument of choice. It is important, however, for each student to learn styles and techniques outside their immediate area of interest in order to provide a broader musical background from which to draw. When playing Rock, for example, I often take cues from Jazz and Blues, and my bass playing is heavily informed by my guitar experience. My overall teaching process goes through three general phases: I first encourage exploration of the instrument, then build a base layer of fundamental skills, and finally work on more advanced techniques in a variety of styles. My goal is always to promote an appreciation of both the technical and artistic sides of playing, so that students can intelligently use their understanding to communicate musically.