Information About Philip - Christchurch tutor

Personal Description:

Philip began playing the clarinet at the age of nine, and has since devoted twenty years to the study of music. His studies began with Dr. Shannon Scott, then principal clarinet of the Tulsa Philharmonic and Tulsa Opera, as well as Professor of Clarinet at the University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University. In those early years, Philip was two-year principal clarinet of the Oklahoma Music Education Association's all-state honor orchestra, three-year principal clarinet of the Tulsa Youth Symphony, and was selected to festivals such as the Interlochen Arts Camp and the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain.

Philip studied for his Bachelor of Music degree at Baylor University, under Dr. Richard Shanley, Professor of Clarinet and Principal Clarinet of the Waco Sympony. While at Baylor, Philip performed with the Waco Symphony on clarinet and bass clarinet, and performed in numerous master classes with teachers and soloists such as Jon Manasse, Ken Grant, Russ Dagon, Sean Osborne, and Michael Webster to name a few. During this time Philip was also selected to perform for two seasons with Opera In The Ozarks, playing clarinet and saxophone for fully-staged operas in the resort town of Eureka Springs.

After graduating from Baylor in 2004, Philip attended the prestigious Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where he studied clarinet under Dr. Michael Webster. He was also coached by faculty such as Benjamin Kamins, Rice's Professor of Bassoon and Principal Bassoon of the Houston Symphony, and Leone Buyse, Professor of flute and Chair of Woodwinds, retired Principal Flutist of the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestra. Philip performed with the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra and the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra under renowned conductor Larry Rachleff, and shared the stage with such performers as cellist Lynn Harrell and violinist Itzhak Perlman. Philip also performed in numerous chamber music performances and festivals, and participated in master classes with soloists and teachers such as Richard Stoltzman, Karl Leister, Lorenzo Coppola, and others.

Most recently, after moving to New Zealand in 2009, Philip was made 3rd clarinet of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, where he performs with the CSO as well as the Southern Opera.

Tutoring Experience:

Philip began his career as a teacher while a graduate student, and coached his students to success in regional competitions and solo performances. In fact, his students maintained a 100% success rate when auditioning for their regional honor band. Philip also put his English minor (earned during his time at Baylor) to use by teaching reading skills to students in the Kumon Learning Center in Houston, Texas.

After graduating from Rice University in 2006 with his Master of Music degree, Philip was added to the faculty of the Barthelmes Conservatory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he developed a clarinet curriculum in an institution that had previously only offered tuition in piano, strings, and percussion. At the Conservatory, Philip taught under-privileged students from the Tulsa metropolitan area whose talents merited full scholarships. Philip also taught private students from the Tulsa area, and those students continued his legacy in his hometown with a 100% acceptance rate into the Oklahoma Music Educators Association all-state honor band and orchestra. Philip also coached the clarinet section for Union High School.

Tutoring Approach:

My primary aim in teaching is to make music enjoyable and accessible for my students. Whether she be a brand-new beginner or in preparation for her graduate school auditions, I want to enable her to make the best music that she can and to accomplish whatever goals she has. Seeing the pleasure and satisfaction that my students get when they master a new skill, or put on a performance that they are truly proud of, is what makes teaching so rewarding for me. And I hope that the good experiences we have together, and the skills that I help my students develop, will lead my students to a lifelong love of music.