Cooper R.

Hello! My name is Cooper. I have been playing clarinet for almost 10 years now, and saxophone for 4. I just finished my first year at the East Texas A&M University School of Music, where I am studying to become a Band Director when I graduate. I currently perform in 2 concert ensembles and one of the jazz bands. I am also closely familiar with the TMEA All-Region and All-State audition processes. I absolutely love teaching! My teaching philosophy is very "fundamentals-first." Mastery of the easy-to-learn skills makes the hard stuff come quicker. I also believe that most students are working too hard without knowing it. Music is hard! We should strive to make it as easy as possible on ourselves to ensure we do not get frustrated or plateau our development. A fun fact about me is that I am an amateur bladesmith! I discovered the show "Forged in Fire" a few years ago and fell in love with it. I purchased my own equipment and managed to make a few blades of my own!