MTL Alumni

“Eastman and its Department of Music Teaching and Learning (MTL) had such a positive impact on me, both professionally and personally. The education I received at Eastman took what I already knew about early childhood and elementary music teaching and learning and shifted it towards a more musical and intentional practice. My musical experiences at Eastman instilled a confidence within myself as a musician which has led me to not only improvise, create, and perform more with my students, but also to place creativity at the center of my curriculum. The educators in the MTL Department inspired me to believe in myself, to view music education as a practice rooted in human relationships, and to understand that music-making is achievable for all people. I am truly grateful for my time at Eastman and for the support I received from the Department of Music Teaching and Learning.”

 

“During my time at Eastman, especially through the MTL degree program, I refined my skills as an arranger, embraced my creativity as a composer, built chops on multiple instruments, and learned to communicate those skills more effectively. Teaching will always be a part of my life and career, but the MTL program also prepared and supported me in my aspirations beyond the classroom. I left Eastman ready to take on opportunities that draw on the wide range of skills I developed during my degree program.”

“Eastman’s rigorous musical environment and the Department of Music Teaching and Learning equipped me with the tools to become an effective educator and conductor. The combination of high-level artistry and pedagogical training taught me how to design meaningful experiences that push students beyond what they believe they can achieve.

Through my leadership at Eastman as the President of the Students’ Association and my work in the MTL program, I learned that music education is fundamentally about teaching humans through music, which means tending to people’s humanity first. This understanding shapes my work today in all the spaces I am in.

Eastman provided the foundation for understanding both musical excellence and the human-centered is essential to effective music education and leadership. Eastman is a safe space for us to explore who we are and what is important to us; to take the good ideas, learn from the bad ideas, and decide how to make our mark on the world “for the enrichment of community life.”

“Eastman provides the most incredible ecosystem for us to grow as musicians, teachers, and humans. The hard work, discipline, time management, and interpersonal skills that I developed in school have contributed to who I am today and led me to many of the unique opportunities I’ve experienced in my career since graduation. When I decided to apply to the music education degree program in my sophomore year, I had no idea that the faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Music Teaching and Learning would become such a wonderful and supportive family. 

Not only did the MTL curriculum teach us how to be better musicians and teachers of all ages/abilities, but it provided the landscape for us to understand people in a deeper way. The music education degree was not just a piece of paper for a backup plan, it was what unlocked the importance of human connection and empathy, communication and listening, and respecting others’ perspectives, all under the umbrella of learning how to be the best music teacher and performer that one can be.”

Bay Area-based trumpet performer, educator, and arts leader, David Hart leads a career focused on both performance and teaching and learning across a variety of educational settings. He is Director of Jazz at The Harker School, where he leads jazz ensembles and co-directs the Harker Concert Series, and serves on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, directing the Giant Steps Big Band and Mentorship Fellowship Program. Hart has had the good fortune of teaching and performing throughout the United States and internationally, with engagements in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar. He previously served on the faculty at Mahidol University in Thailand, where he founded the institution’s first jazz trumpet studio. Hart has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Thailand International Jazz Festival, and Stanford Jazz Festival, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Gerald Wilson, Dena DeRose, the 8-Bit Big Band, Taylor Eigsti, and Dayna Stephens. Heavily influenced by his work with Dr. Christopher Azzara, his research centers on creativity and improvisation pedagogy, including contributions to Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation. He is also co-founder of Noise Lab Music, serving Bay Area families through early childhood music education. A California native, Hart holds a DMA and master’s degrees in Jazz Studies and Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, and a BA in Music Performance from UCLA.

“Eastman and the Department of Music Teaching and Learning changed my life. When I was exploring graduate programs, I was searching for a place that prioritized both the highest level of musical performance and the deepest study of teaching and learning. Eastman provided all of this and more. The faculty in the MTL Department, particularly Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. Richard Grunow, helped me connect a deep love of music with a profound understanding of how creativity and improvisation can inspire learners of all ages. It was through my work at Eastman, both as a Master’s student and doctoral candidate, that I gained the knowledge and experience that shaped my entire career. The musical connections I made daily in ensembles and performances with fellow students were equally transformative, shaping who I am as both a musician and educator. If you are searching for a program that will challenge you at the highest levels of musicianship and deepen your understanding of what it means to bring out and develop music in others, look no further.”

 

Leslie Hart (DMA, 2011, MM, 2005) is the music specialist at Bing Nursery School at Stanford University. Outside of the classroom Leslie is researching music documentation in play-based learning environments and developing a tool using generative AI to support documentation and play in early childhood music. In addition to her role at Bing, Leslie is an active freelance horn player throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and is the Director and Co-Founder of Noise Lab Creative Music Learning Community, offering music workshops for families with young children.

“The single most impactful event of my professional life as an educator occurred at the beginning of my Master’s program, where as a horn performance major I was given the opportunity to teach horn methods and as such, required to take Dr. Azzara’s Instrumental Methods course. Little did I know then that Dr. Azzara would become my doctoral advisor, mentor, and friend. I continue to count my colleagues from the program as some of my closest friends (and collaborators). Dr. Azzara’s courses opened my eyes to how we learn in music, which was a complete paradigm shift from how I had been taught, and his conversations continue to inspire me to this day.”

“My diverse teaching and research interests were cultivated and encouraged by the excellent advisors and mentors I had at Eastman. I stand on the shoulders of giants like the late Dr. Susan Conkling, Drs. Donna Brink Fox, Ellen Koskoff, Louis Bergonzi, Richard Grunow, and Chris Azzara who all provided a strong foundation for me to help others become great teachers and change agents in the world. During my time as a graduate student I taught choir and general music in the Rochester City and Webster school districts, worked for the Eastman Community Music School, rounded out my education with coursework in Ethnomusicology as well as courses on justice and equity at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, and studied different musical traditions such as Balinese gamelan, Karnatak and Hindustani music, mbira, hammered dulcimer, and shape-note singing. There is no greater place for studying music in North America. I attribute a great deal of my success to the Eastman network and the continued support and mentorship provided by the faculty with whom I collaborated.”

 

“What I really valued about my time at Eastman was working towards and being encouraged to reach high standards, both as a musician and as an educator. I was expected to deeply consider WHY and HOW a teacher does anything in the classroom—the music we choose and how we evaluate students, realizing that we send messages in any pedagogical choice we make. The music-making and high expectations I encountered in voice lessons and conducting classes, and the opportunity to be with other musicians who were incredibly serious about their art, all strengthened my teaching.”  

“Eastman quickly became a home away from home for me. The close relationships formed in the double bass studio felt more like a family than a competitive incubator. I am grateful for my professor’s patience and diligent teaching style, which helped me grow and flourish as a musician. Receiving a Music Education Degree from Eastman has opened many doors in the education field over the years, and I am proud to be an alum.”

 

“My time at Eastman certainly provided the foundation for the many music and music education experiences I have been lucky enough to have over the past 40 years!  From teaching beginning band in Penfield until 1995 and then completing a doctorate at Columbia University (1997) to faculty positions at Rutgers University (97-98), Michigan State University (98-01), and Michigan (01-present) and playing horn in the Adrian Symphony (1999-2025), I have always felt confident as a musician. scholar, and educator thanks to my work with Richard Grunow, Donna Fox, Roy Ernst, Donald Hunsberger, and Verne Reynolds. The connections made at Eastman have lasted throughout my time and I feel so fortunate for my experiences.”

“I’ve reflected often about my Eastman experiences, which provided a powerful continuation of studies that I had completed previously. The value of the Eastman doctoral program was attributable not just to the expertise but also to the caring nature of its music education faculty. Those are precisely the qualities that music education programs must model and elicit, so their graduates are inspired to carry those qualities into the classrooms they subsequently lead.”

“The best decisions I made while at Eastman involved versatility. I sang in the choir, played celeste in the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra and played in Jazz Ensembles and small groups. I also accompanied for lots of different teaching studios, learning lots of great repertoire and being exposed to lots of different pedagogical styles. I am grateful that this department encouraged me to take advantage of so many opportunities!”