My Philosophy:
I believe that anyone can learn to play the recorder. I love working with students of all ages and all levels of experience. I try to provide concrete steps for development, with patience, kindness, and a sense of humor.
It can feel intimidating when starting lessons with a new teacher. I know! I’ve been there. We’ll start with something easy - discussing what you want from lessons.
When I began playing the recorder I had to teach myself, using books. There were no teachers in town. This isolation slowed my improvement.
I experienced amazing, concrete progress when I began studying with experienced teachers. Thanks, Eva Legêne and Han Tol! Thanks, also, to Bart Kuijken, Bart Spanhove, Bert Honig, Bertho Driever, Beth Stein, Catherine Hawkes, Cory Jameson, Donald Livingston, Elisabeth Wright, Fred Zwick, Kathy White, Kaye Clements, Kevin Weiman, Louise Austin, Marieke Spaans, Marna Street, Mary Halverson Waldo, Omar P. Blackman, Paige Whitley-Baugess, Paul Frankenfeld, Paul Hillier, Shelley Gruskin, Stanley Ritchie, Thomas Baird, Weezie Smith, and Wendy Gillespie. Phew! No, these weren’t all recorder teachers. But each person taught me something. I love to share the best of their ideas, plus my own discoveries.
Four Places to Learn:
1. My cozy teaching studio (in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood)
2. Your cozy home, anywhere in the world. Yes. Really.
3. Music Institute of Chicago (Evanston)
Saturdays
Traditional private lessons or Suzuki Method recorder lessons
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4.MIC Ensembles (Evanston)
Saturdays
Recorder orchestra, recorder chamber music groups, mixed-instrument early music ensembles
How to Begin
Simply email me at PatrickRecorder@mac.com and introduce yourself. I look forward to hearing from you and working together.