Teaching Statement
Our ultimate goals in lessons are to make playing easier, more versatile, and to craft a unique singing sound on the instrument. Learning an instrument is like learning to speak, so in our lessons we will draw on approaches such as modeling and call-and-response to try and make playing as easy as speaking. Our goal will be communicating ideas and emotions through the instrument. Through this process students not only improve and become more versatile players, but also develop their own distinct voice on the instrument, practice mindfulness, and connect with their learning process in new ways.
Teaching Bio
As a passionate educator, Connor Thummel has taught privately across the country. Prior to his arrival in Boston, he was a clinician and private teacher in Chicago, where his students performed and received high marks in solo and ensemble competitions. In Boston, he taught both in classrooms and privately through Brookline Public Schools, and worked at Boston University Tanglewood Institute in the summer of 2022. Connor received his BM from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Boston University. He joined South Shore Conservatory in 2022.
Performance Bio
As an advocate for community engagement, Connor Thummel has co-founded and performed with ensembles across the country, and is now a co-producer with the Shift Orchestra Project in Boston. Before arriving in Boston, he co-directed and performed with Benefit Brass, a Chicago-based non-profit brass ensemble that organized benefit concerts for charities. While completing his undergraduate degree at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, he was also a member of Classical Connections, a student-run organization that presented performances to the underserved. Connor has attended festivals and seminars across the country, including the Mulcahy Seminar and the Third Coast Trombone Retreat. While in high school, he had the opportunity to play in Midwest Young Artists. There, he received honorable mentions in the Walgreens National Concerto Competition in 2010, and the Discover Chamber Competition in 2011. Outside of performing and teaching, Connor enjoys running, reading, and writing short stories. He joined South Shore Conservatory in 2022. More at www.connorthummel.com