Teaching Artist Statement
Due to my background as an Occupational Therapist, I teach music with a holistic approach; considering all social, emotional, and physical aspects to playing the bassoon. With a self-reflective teaching style, I strive to increase self-awareness and intrinsic motivation in my students. I strongly believe that the virtues that accompany learning to play an instrument can be translated into every aspect of an individual’s life, including a hard work ethic, delayed gratification, mindfulness, creative expression, and self-confidence.
Teaching Bio
As a South Shore Conservatory alum, Meryl’s passion for music and career as a bassoonist began at SSC’s Duxbury campus at the age of 13. After high school, Meryl received a Bachelor of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she studied bassoon performance with William Buchman and Christopher Millard. During her time in Chicago, she was a part of Chicago Symphony’s Musicorps program, giving interactive and educational performances to youth. She studied in Vienna for a year with David Seidel, principal bassoon of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Wien. After college, Meryl received a Fulbright Grant to study in Düsseldorf Germany with Gustavo Núñez, principal bassoon of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Meryl holds a Master of Music from Yale University, where she studied with Frank Morelli. She taught music to high school students in New Haven as a teaching artist through the Music in Schools program. As a part of the Youth Orchestra of the America’s, she taught as a mentor in the Dominican Republic for young, aspiring musicians. She has taught privately for many years in several different locations, including Winnipeg, New Haven, and the greater Boston area. Meryl was excited to join SSC as a faculty member in 2021.
Performance Bio
Meryl’s career as a bassoonist has allowed her to perform internationally in countries including China, Germany, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia. Meryl is the principal bassoonist of the Cape Cod Symphony, and is an active freelancer in the greater Boston area, performing regularly with some of Boston’s premier ensembles. She has performed at several music festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. In 2012, she was a finalist in the IDRS Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Bassoon Competition. She also performs regularly as a substitute bassoonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. While on a Fulbright Grant, she performed with many regional orchestras throughout Germany. Meryl held the position of 2nd bassoon in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra before moving back to Boston to begin a Masters in Occupational Therapy. She has been with SSC since 2021.