Congratulations to Aaron Dolman, instructor and recent graduate (MMus 鈥�25) at the Schulich School of Music, winner of the 2024鈥�2025 Teaching Award in the Graduate Instructor Category!听
Aaron is a dynamic and innovative educator whose work in MUJZ 172: Drum Set Proficiency during the Fall 2024 semester garnered wide acclaim from both students and faculty. As a graduate instructor in the Jazz Area, he brought a hands-on, student-centered approach to teaching that emphasized creativity, inclusivity, and technical growth. His classes were described as 鈥渆ngaging, challenging, and incredibly rewarding,鈥� with one student calling it 鈥渢he best class I鈥檝e ever taken in jazz school.鈥澛犅�
An adaptive and forward-thinking pedagogue, Aaron restructured the course to accommodate a large class size in a 50-minute class without sacrificing individual attention, incorporating additional practice assignments, performance-based exams, and reflective journal writing. These innovations helped foster a supportive learning environment where students felt safe to take risks and confident in their progress.聽聽
In this In Conversation, we spoke with Aaron about his teaching philosophy, his approach to inclusive and transparent pedagogy, and what he hopes students take with them after the final beat is played.聽
What excited you most about teaching your course?聽
A number of things excited me about teaching the course, so it鈥檚 hard to pick just one! This was my first time teaching a group course at the university-level, and I was also tasked with designing the course objectives, grading rubric and schedule, so the challenge of taking that on for the first time was very exciting. I knew that it would be a great learning experience, and it was! Luckily, my friend Val茅rie Lacombe had done an incredible job at leading the course the year before, so she was able to offer a lot of great insight, and it was exciting for me to get her perspective and to then go and make it my own. That said, I think the most exciting aspect was the amazing dynamic between my students and me. It was such a joy to engage with each of the 15 members of the class, and to get to know their unique perspectives and goals. As a teacher, I felt supported by the class, but I also was happy when they challenged me! It always felt constructive and made me think more thoroughly about the subject matter.聽
How do your musical and professional experiences shape your teaching?聽
Since this was my first time teaching a class outside of private lessons, I relied heavily on my musical and professional experiences in shaping my approach, and also in making decisions about class content. I am primarily an improvising musician who works in the broad field of jazz and jazz-adjacent music, so naturally I wanted this to be reflected in my class by encouraging curiosity and by tying to create an environment that is safe enough to take risks and try new things. As a musician I also strive to be sincere and honest in my practice, so it was important for me to be open with my students about how my personal experiences, values and limitations were shaping the decisions I was making about the class, especially since most of my students are - or will eventually become - my professional peers. I think it鈥檚 clear that all teachers teach through the lens of their own experiences and biases, but I think that my students benefited and appreciated my openness about that. Many of my musical and professional experiences have reinforced the value of transparency. At the very least, I think it helped my students to remain self-reflective and thoughtful about their progress.聽
It also feels relevant here to mention that my experiences as a student - from my first private lessons all through high school and into my Bachelor鈥檚 and then Master鈥檚 - also played a huge role in shaping my teaching style. I鈥檝e had many incredible teachers, and I wanted to honour what they all gave me by doing the best job I could for my class. In music and beyond, I believe that the best teachers are the ones who can most effectively share their unique perspective while encouraging their students to find their own. I don鈥檛 claim to know all the answers, and I've never responded well to anyone who did!听
What are some of the guiding principles in your approach to teaching?聽
I want my teaching to embody the same principles as the actual music that I make. Some words that come to mind now are kindness, transparency, trust and responsibility. I can ramble on about the meaning and nuances contained in each of these ideas, or about the ways in which I try to apply them鈥� but I think I like this answer short and simple! 鈥淟ess-is-more鈥� is a lesson I need to learn and re-learn constantly, especially as a drummer!听
What do you hope your students take away鈥攎usically, professionally, or personally鈥攆rom your course(s)?聽
I hope that they are energized and inspired to go and do the work that they are already doing as music student. I don鈥檛 think many people choose to study music unless they are genuinely passionate and curious, so my hope is simply that this course supported those qualities in my students. I also hope that it broadened their musical perspectives and helped them understand the unique role that the drum set played in the musical and cultural history of Black American Music.聽
What does receiving a 2025 Teaching Award mean to you?聽
It鈥檚 definitely a wonderful feeling! I was surprised at first, and I鈥檓 honoured that my students took the time to nominate me and to show their appreciation for my work. I hope to continue teaching - whether it be at a school or privately - so this award feels like a nice boost of energy! It also has helped me to look back on my experience of teaching with a more critical lens and to ask myself deeper questions about how I can contribute most effectively as a teacher moving forward. Music is inseparable from society and all art is political so for me teaching music is a major responsibility, perhaps now more than ever, against the backdrop of a housing crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, the climate crisis, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the devastating effects of A.I. on the arts鈥� these are things we can鈥檛 ignore as humans and as artists, so receiving this award has been a really lovely opportunity for me to reflect on my small role within a much, much larger tapestry of musicians and music educators.聽
