PHILOSOPHY:

Every young artist, no matter how talented, needs skillful instruction and supportive mentorship to become a complete musician. The path to an enriching career in the arts is rarely a linear one, never the same experience from one person to the next, and a truly collective endeavor between a musician and their community, a fabric that becomes richer and more intricate over a lifetime.

Working with a mentor who recognizes your potential and encourages you to realize the qualities that you have yet to identify in yourself can be a transformative experience. Throughout my 20+ year career as a soloist, chamber musician, and arts advocate, I had many important teachers who shared their expertise, provided invaluable systems of support, and helped me navigate the most pivotal moments of my artistic life. Next to traveling and performing for audiences around the world, I find no greater joy than mentoring the next generation of young artists.

Becoming a seasoned musician requires many skill sets:

• a strong foundation in three essential areas—aural, technical, and artistic

• thorough knowledge of the musical and historical literature

• an unbridled curiosity, resourcefulness, and resilience

• the ability to identify and work through challenges of all shapes and sizes

• the ability to communicate effectively with your audience

• the ability to communicate and work collaboratively with your peers

• financial literacy and skills to manage creative projects

• to think outside of the boundaries set forth by the industry and push them further

• perhaps most importantly, to use music in impactful ways to enhance and reflect the communities around us

I am interested in the art of learning: learning how to learn, learning how to arrive at one’s own solutions and informed musical opinions, and using these tools to help pave an enriching life in the arts. If everyone is capable of learning, which I firmly believe to be true—and I mean everyone—then as an educator, I am committed to meeting you where you are and showing you how to develop your own process.

I invite you to join me at EMU CELLO at Eastern Michigan University or at any one of the festivals and institutions throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia where I serve on faculty, present master classes, and lead chamber music residencies. I invite you to join me in learning. For more about EMU CELLO, continue reading below. For more information about which festivals I serve on faculty, please visit the FESTIVALS page under ABOUT.

ABOUT EMU CELLO:

EMU CELLO at Eastern Michigan University provides our young artists with exceptional musical training and a broad range of learning opportunities to lead vibrant careers in the arts. We encourage each of our cellists to be resourceful, entrepreneurial, and active ambassadors of art in their communities.

With the expertise of Professor Pae, each cellist receives one-on-one personalized instruction, which hones and strengthens students’ aural, technical, and musical abilities alongside guided career mentorship. Cellists also participate in a weekly studio class as an extension of their lessons, which is a nurturing avenue for reinforcing and developing practical, achievable artistic and pedagogical goals; cello ensemble, performances on- and off-campus, and a number of engaging activities at the University.

Graduates of the EMU CELLO studio have gone onto prestigious music programs throughout the country and received highly sought-after assistantships at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, Bowling Green State University, University of Missouri, and the University of Memphis. Many have gone on to establish private studios of their own and currently direct orchestral programs through Michigan and beyond.

Current and past alumni have also participated in music festivals including Interlochen Arts, Detroit Civic Youth Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Summer Institute & Festival, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Viola da Gamba Society of America Conclave, the Formosa Chamber Music Festival, and PhoenixPhest.