I am currently Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet and Woodwinds and the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus. With experience teaching at all levels, I am always seeking students join my studio at CCBC or privately. I work to find the lesson structure that works for each individual student. My goal as a teacher is to help my students learn how to play, how to practice, and how to manage their time efficiently. I seek to help my students become the most well-rounded and flexible musicians they can be.
I am also available for master classes and/or chamber music coaching. I am excited to share my passion for teaching and performing with the clarinet community of the DMV area!
Send me a message for fees and more information!
Olivia is one of the strongest “basics” teachers that I have worked with through the years at ASU. She knows how to get a student to have a great sound, great intonation and correct articulation. This is not to say that she is not creative! She is very creative in her musical thoughts as well. That being said, there are very few people who can teach basic clarinet skills, and this is a real talent. I recommend her very highly to anyone who wants to advance on their clarinet skills at any level.
As an aside, she is one of two people over the past 30 years that we have hired as a TA for 4 years. That shows the faith we have in her.
Robert Spring, DMA
Professor of Music, Arizona State University
Olivia is one of those rare musicians that is both an outstanding player and an excellent teacher. I highly recommend her to clarinet players at any level. When we started lessons together in Fall of 2018 I had been away from the clarinet for 10 years. I had previously played in high school, college, and community bands, but just for fun. I sought formal instruction because I set a goal of passing an audition to get into an Army National Guard Band. I feel so fortunate to have found Olivia right away. It was apparent from day one that she had a true passion both for teaching and for playing the clarinet. Right from the start, she emphasized fundamentals and identified exactly what I needed to do to improve. She is able to communicate very effectively and consistently makes excellent use of our time together. Most importantly, she helped me to pass the audition! In addition to receiving phenomenal instruction, I had the pleasure of hearing Olivia play at a lecture recital at the University of Hawaii. I was blown away by her talent. Since she moved to Maryland, we have resumed working together via remote lessons and they have been just as effective as our previous in-person lessons.
Justin Weaver, student 2018-202
I'm super picky about who I take lessons from, so I emailed the clarinet professor at Arizona State University. He quickly responded to me with Olivia's name and contact info, so I reached out immediately, excited to get started. After just one lesson, I completely understood why she was his first and only pick! Olivia is such a phenomenal teacher; she is patient, informative, flexible, experienced, and really pushed me to be my absolute best. In just a few lessons I saw/heard noticeable improvement in my tone, control, and even technique way faster than I thought I would thanks to such helpful exercises and tips! Not only did I become a better player, but I've learned so much about the instrument in general. Every lesson was more exciting than the last! And that's all thanks to such a great teacher!
Caleb Messner, student 2015-2017