Patrick Prentice
About
Patrick Prentice is a current graduate student at McGill University studying under the tutelage of Alain Desgagne. He has degrees from University of Miami and University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His past teachers include Dr. Margaret Donaghue, Dr. Oskar Espina-Ruiz, Stacey McColley, and Dr. Lynn Musco. He has served as woodwind coach and private lesson tutor in the Tampa area for local high schools as well as having previous experience as a band and choir director for Winding Waters K-8 in Weeki Wachee, Florida. Patrick is currently active in new music and chamber music as well as the McGill Symphony Orchestra. He regularly performs in the Krazy Piano Sextet, a group dedicated to performing standard works and commissioning new works for the instrumentation. During his time at Frost, Patrick has played for the Florida Intercollegiate Band, participated in the FMEA and CBDNA conferences, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and has played in masterclasses of Burt Hara and Julian Hernandez. He was a prize winner for the 2019 International Clarinet Association Young Artist Competition and a Concerto Competition Winner at the Frost School of Music. Patrick can be seen currently performing and teaching in the Montreal area.
I'm very passionate about educating and the ways that learning music improves our daily lives in terms of concentration, decision-making, awareness, and others. For me, teaching clarinet is two-fold: my students should learn the fundamentals of the instrument in order to produce rich and sonorous sounds, have excellent technique, and an explorative and inquisitive musical expression; however, I also think that studying music should focus on how we learn and how it can be applied beyond the musical staves on our stand. My teaching focuses on problem solving skills and engaging the student so that when they are alone and without a teacher, they have the necessary skills to improve.
I work with students on their specific goals and learning outcomes. Most students will need to focus on both fundamentals and repertoire with both being tailored to their specific goals in mind. I encourage students to be vocal about what their needs are and to direct their own learning; I am simply a guide with the tools to help direct and guide student learning. I encourage students to also buy certain (non-expensive) resources but I do have free and available resources as well.