Orchestra Director
Thomas Goodrich
Mr. Goodrich holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Ohio State University. He majored in music education, under the supervision of Dr. Robert Gillespie, and studied viola with Edward Adelson. He graduated with a Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music, where he majored in viola performance. His primary teachers were Karen Ritscher and John Graham. During this time, he also studied at the Meadowmount School of Music. Mr. Goodrich possess over fifteen years experience as a professional violist, performing with such groups as the Bronx Opera Orchestra, Opera Northeast, the Breckenridge Music Festival, and the Santa Fe Symphony, among others.
Mr. Goodrich has taught for over twenty years in a variety of disciplines, such as instrumental music, general and vocal music, Suzuki violin, chorus, private string instruction, piano, Music Theater, orchestra, band, conducting and chamber music. Mr. Goodrich previously served as the director of music at The Menaul School and orchestra director at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has also served as assistant conductor of the Columbus Symphony Cadet Orchestra, guest conductor of the Farmington district honors orchestra, adjudicator for the NMMEA large group festivals, and the founding Director of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Prelude Strings Orchestra.
Mr. Goodrich’s extensive background in music education has served him well in disciplines outside of music. Prior to moving to New Mexico (during his sabbatical from music), Mr. Goodrich worked for Morgan Stanley, as a technology trainer and business analyst. He was nominated for a firm award for outstanding achievement and several of his projects received award recognition.
The expertise Mr. Goodrich acquired from Morgan Stanley, as well as his diverse music education background and professional music experience, has helped shape him into a well-rounded teacher with a full array of life experiences he is excited to share with the students at DSA.
Mr. Goodrich is originally from Westerville, Ohio. He lived in New York City for ten years and New Mexico for fourteen years before relocation to Denver to join the School of the Arts faculty in 2011.
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is a consequential social practice. A commitment to excellence in education at all levels means not only learning as personal development, but as an integral part of our role as educators and members of our communities. Successful teaching values intellectual effort, diversity, striving for excellence both musically and technically, and respect for perspectives other than our own.
Students do not arrive in classrooms as empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. Hence, the teachers prime function is to facilitate and teach students in a variety of styles using diverse materials, always encouraging them to identify, challenge, and test assumptions and to take different perspectives from which to critically encounter and evaluate their world. Learning about music is an active, social, and collaborative process between student, teacher, family and community. Successful teaching integrates cooperative learning exercises and individual work as vehicles for self-directed and shared learning. Consequently, students must be encouraged to take their musical studies seriously and learn to respect that class attendance and participation are of the utmost importance in their own and other students’ learning.
As a lifelong activity, learning is a process that teachers constantly undergo along with their students. Teaching, like any other communicative interaction, is not linear or one-way and thus requires respect and openness to learning as one also teaches. Successful strategies which enhance this collaborative learning process and the development of the classroom as a learning community include: relating class subject matter to student lives, making the learning process and inviting and welcome experience, and engaging students collaboratively in the development of class content. Inviting students to analyze and critique class teaching materials and encouraging them to suggest new music to perform results in the development of a learning community in the classroom that respects diversity and actively takes into considerations what students themselves bring to the learning process. I am committed and dedicated to excellence in teaching music, to teaching as a community practice, to helping others succeed, and to lifelong learning.