Tutor details
Connor
Personal Statement
Connor is a musician, educator, and mentor who helps aspiring musicians to write and release their first album. Connor got his career in education started as a middle and high school Mandarin Chinese teacher, having graduated with a BA in East Asian Studies from Connecticut College. After graduating, while teaching Mandarin and Music, first at Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, NJ, and then later at the Dalton School in New York, NY, Connor started his NYC-based rock band, Dizzy Bats, which has self-released six albums, toured the country countless times as well as internationally in China and Canada, put out five official music videos, and have been featured on international radio as well as various podcasts. Connor simultaneously began his work as a freelance tutor, helping hundreds of students in Mandarin, Music, and ESL. In mid-2019, Connor launched his mentoring practice, where he helps aspiring musicians to take their first steps by setting goals and taking action. Connor has helped many of his clients reach their creative goals, release their first albums, and take that leap towards living their most fulfilling lives. Connor has been interviewed and featured on a handful of podcasts, including Confessions of the Creative Kind as well as The Creative Introvert. As a mentor and teacher, Connor strives to build trust between him and those he helps. Connor’s approach is empathetic in nature, and he believes in listening intently to those he works with, so that he can best suit their needs and motivate them to be their most creative and best selves. Connor’s experience is one that has exercised a do-it-yourself ethos; he truly embraces the power of taking action and breaking through any barriers that may stand in the way.
Education
BA: Connecticut College (2011) (East Asian Studies Major, Music Minor)
Subjects
Awards and Recognitions
Featured on "Confessions of the Creative Kind"-2019
Adjunct Professor-2016
Testimonials
“I hired Connor and was blown away by his professionalism. He is clearly dedicated to the success of his clients. Connor helped me get clear on my goals, explore different options for how to achieve them, and set doable action steps so that I would make progress each week. Learning from Connor and applying what he taught me has given me increased confidence about my ability to succeed. Thank you!” Michael, New York, NY
“I tend to be a pessimist when it comes to mentor-type services, so I didn’t expect to see many results from our work together. In just two sessions, though, my mind was changed completely. It’s clear to me that Connor cares most of all about helping his clients achieve the goals that they set for themselves. What’s more, the self-scheduling skills he’s taught me will serve me well in all facest of life, for years to come.” John, West Hartford, CT
“Connor was extraordinarily helpful in guiding me through the steps I'll need to take in order to get my freelance business up and running. He is extremely organized and ran each session smoothly via FaceTime and a shared Google Doc, which allowed me to follow along with the goals for each session as well as for the future of my business. I am particularly grateful for the expertise he shared with me as to how to best utilize each virtual marketplace platform in order to find clients and gather testimonials. I look forward to more sessions with him as my business continues to take shape. Highly recommend.” Mori, Los Angeles, CA
“I came to Connor with a pretty strange predicament: this winter, my band The Cat Attic recorded our first full-length album but our plans for release were completed thrown off by the global coronavirus pandemic. I needed a lot of help rethinking my strategy around release dates, methods to promote the release in the midst of social distancing, and how to set up album release gigs in this uncertain time. In only an hour-long session, Connor helped me think through a solid game plan and connect with me a few resources that were totally new to me. I now have a revised calendar for releases and shows for the spring and summer. Additionally, I have a few pieces of 'homework'
Connor gave me plenty of ideas to run with to line up promotional support for our debut LP and to begin planning more extensive tours in the future. Perhaps the most valuable part of connecting with Connor was his though partnership. Particularly in these crazy times, it is awesome to have an objective sounding board who can draw from lived experience and offer much needed support! Richard, Boston, MA
“Working with Connor was such a joy as well as the healthy push (kick in the bum?!) I needed to begin employing new techniques of organization and motivation in my professional/musical career. Connor and I focused on two different aspects of my professional life over the course of three sessions via Google Hangouts. The first aspect was my new business as a music teacher and freelance musician and the second, and I'd say primary focus, was building structure, goals, and strategy for my musical career as an artist. Each session built nicely into the next, connecting aspects from my personal life, preferences, and passions with useful homework assignments and research topics. I specifically enjoyed (and will continue to implement) the short term musical assignments Connor assigned after the 1st and 2nd sessions. For example, I have a proclivity towards writing slow songs, so an obvious first assignment was to write a fast song. The following assignment was writing a bass line. Not the first instrument I usually think of when I'm songwriting but that kind of creative approach to music is what I needed to spark the motivation and inspiration again. I know it's a lot of hard work to keep up with a small business and pursue an artistic career in music.” Tiffany, New York, NY