The Academy is excited to welcome Teaching Artist Brian Slaymaker to our Guitar faculty this fall! Brian is an alumnus of George Mason University and is thrilled to rejoin the Mason community as a teacher. Faculty Coordinator Claire Allen sat down with Brian to learn more about him and his teaching.
CAllen: What excites you the most about joining the music faculty at the Academy?
BSlaymaker: Teaching at an institution that is affiliated with George Mason’s School of music is exciting. I learned so much as a Music Major at GMU, and now it’s an honor to be employed as a teacher by the Potomac Arts Academy.
CAllen: How did you first fall in love with music?
BSlaymaker: I remember when I was about 6 years old how thrilled I’d get when my mother would play the “Stars Wars” theme song on the piano for me. I asked her to play it over and over!
CAllen: Tell me about a teaching experience you had that was especially memorable.
BSlaymaker: Watching my first student recital was a surreal experience. I couldn’t believe that those young students started as beginners, and they played fantasticly. I almost cried. I’m glad I didn’t! [laughs]
CAllen: What are some unique things you do when you teach?
BSlaymaker: I’m not sure how unique some of the many things are that I do. I like to break the routine. Lessons can become redundant with the same methods and the same procedures. My students are always shocked when I say, “Let’s do something totally new instead”. Sometimes younger students say, “But we’re not supposed to do that!”.
CAllen: Do you have any pets?
BSlaymaker: I have a cat (domestic short-haired) named Jill. She had a partner named Jack, but he passed away. Since then Jill has become very strong willed – and a leader. #TeamCat
CAllen: What else would you like our community to know about you?
BSlaymaker: I’ve had 4 careers: I was a cook, then a bicycle messenger, then a carpenter, and now a musician. I’ve built houses from the foundation all the way through the roof. I know what hard work is. I took a risk to launch my music career. It has paid off like I never thought possible. I’ve completely dedicated my life to music, and I love it!