Education
At a masterclass with jazz music bachelor and master students at Dong Hwa University in Taiwan
“One of the best teachers I’ve ever had at BOLLI. A real gem.”
Teaching experience and educational projects
Below is a selection of my teaching experience and educational projects over the years. If you are interested in a workshop, collaboration, or private lessons (piano, vocals, composition) - online or in person - feel free to contact me here.
Masterclasses & Clinics
Common topics in my university- and high school–level clinics include strategies for improving improvisation and ensemble playing, as well as pedagogical concepts for future music educators on how to teach improvisation as part of a style-independent, holistic approach to music education.
Selected institutions:
Silpakorn University | Bangkok, Thailand | 2025
Taipei European School | Taipei, Taiwan | 2024
國立臺中教育大學 (National Taichung University of Education) | Taichung, Taiwan | 2022
南臺科技大學 (Southern Taiwan University of Science and Tech) | Tainan, Taiwan | 2020
國立東華大學 (National Dong Hwa University) | Hualien, Taiwan | 2019
輔仁大學 (Fu Jen Catholic University) | Taipei, Taiwan | 2019
國立臺南藝術大學 (Tainan National University of the Arts) | Tainan, Taiwan | 2018
I.C.O.M. International College of Music | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 2018
St. Joseph Institution International | Singapore | 2018
Online University Courses
Brandeis University – Institute for Learning in Retirement (BOLLI)
Since 2022, I have continuously led online study groups on the following topics:
Leonard Cohen – A Pop-Star Poet
Joni Mitchell – A Renaissance Woman
Each course consists of ten 90-minute sessions with a class size of approximately 20–30 students. Through biographical context, lyric and music analysis, and discussions of related fields such as theology, philosophy, literature, and visual art, we develop an in-depth understanding of these two cultural icons.
A condensed version of Leonard Cohen – A Pop-Star Poet will be presented at Volkshochschule Basel, Switzerland, in fall 2026.
Private & Public Music School Teaching
Private Teaching | New York (USA), Heidelberg & Lörrach (Germany), Online (worldwide)
UNI Space | Taipei, Taiwan
For two years, I taught weekly jazz piano classes for small groups of semi-advanced students.
Taipei European School | Taipei, Taiwan
For one and a half years, I taught pop vocals, piano, and music production to students of all ages.
Musikschule Lörrach | Lörrach, Germany (currently)
I currently teach jazz vocals, jazz piano, and music theory at the public music school in Lörrach.
“The course went far beyond what I expected, exploring not only Cohen’s music and poetry but his personality, religion and relationships. Terrific!”
My Story in Education
I have to be honest: my journey in education began out of necessity. Fresh out of university, I had just moved to New York City and needed a way to pay rent in this astronomically expensive place. Teaching piano was the only reliable and readily available option. So every morning, I took the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan to visit students in their homes.
I didn’t love the commute, but I soon realized that teaching itself could bring a great deal of joy and fulfillment - not only to my students, but also to me. This realization sparked my deeper reflection on and research into effective, engaging teaching methods and pedagogy.
Since then, I have made it a point to include some form of educational outreach - whether a workshop, masterclass, or clinic - on nearly all of my international tours. The deep connections and long-lasting friendships that grew from these experiences have often become the most memorable parts of my travels.
