“We are music; music is hiding in plain sight in the the vowels of our speech, the rhythms of our hearts, and the dancing of our footsteps. We are instruments playing instruments. These relationships can support us to thrive for our whole life.”

“If anyone could ever teach you or your child to play in instrument and at the same time have an amazing appreciation for the music you are learning, I could never think of anyone better than Emerson. He has the patience, the skill, a love for music, and a love and understanding for wanting to share his enthusiasm with both young and old, Emerson is your teacher”

“Emerson’s approach to teaching a beginner student violin has been a delight to observe as he uses humor, wit and creativity in his teachings of the basics when learning a string instrument. His ability to peek my daughter’s interest in this new art and keep her engaged in a meaningful and challenging way has been rewarding in and of itself to observe and support.

In the hustle and bustle of life my daughter and I look forward to his weekly lesson as an opportunity to connect, laugh and share in the simple moments of learning about each other through a focused fresh lens Emerson’s presence provides all the while my daughter is learning an art that will cross over and support the many areas of her life! Our gratitude for his graciousness is without measure!”

“Emerson is a very empathic guide. I have witnessed him as a music and crafts teacher and an ecotherapy facilitator. His professionalism and knowledge continues to impress me as I continue to work with him. He is very open-hearted and giving - a great person to learn from. Anyone would be lucky to have a session with Emerson. They will always walk away with new skills.”

“We have truly had a wonderful experience, and our child has learned so much from working with Emerson these past two years. As a mom witnessing her growth, I am especially grateful for Emerson’s enthusiasm, patience, and keen ability to work with her right at the level where she needs to be. He has given her a solid foundation, offered her the flexibility to play and sing fun music that she is excited about, and he has been a positive source of encouragement when she has had a tough time. She especially enjoys playing ukulele while Emerson plays the fiddle. She also appreciates his clear practice notes and guidelines to help her stay on track between lessons. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving her the gift of making music!”

“Emerson is an excellent teacher who makes learning to play an instrument a lot of fun. I’ve loved learning to play ukulele with him!”

“There are a lot of things that I enjoyed about how Emerson teaches:. 1: Deconstructing authority is probably my tops (if we don’t give ourselves permission to learn or be creative, who can?) 2. Loved the assignments each week whether I strolled through them or pushed a little harder—each one made me think. 3. Room and space to share what was created, talk about it 4. definitely appreciated the lectures/talks on music theory throughout all three courses 5. The learning philosophy—a. no worries b. offering prompts to learn more c. diving into a particular idea for each class d. being an encouraging soul, having a sense of humor.

In the first class, first course he started the class by saying ‘almost all of us have been traumatized by early [music] education...’ And so true! But he delivered three courses with not a single class having an ounce of trauma!! Yeah and thank you!”