Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Music
Polish-born violinist, and winner of the 1998 Southwest Young Artist Competition held in Las Cruces (New Mexico), Pawel Kozak is a Senior Lecturer in Music at Augusta University, where he directs the university orchestra and teaches courses in music literature and music theory. Prior to his appointment at AU, he taught violin and viola at both Lander University and Presbyterian College.
In addition to maintaining a busy teaching schedule, Kozak serves as the principal second violinist with the Augusta Symphony and performs regularly as a member of the Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra.
In every class I teach - whether it’s applied viola, chamber music, freshmen music theory/ear training sequence, or a course in music literature – my primary goal is to equip music students with tools to “listen better.” This can mean different things depending on the situation. In applied viola lessons and chamber ensembles, "better" listening may mean increased participation and engagement, while in academic courses such as music history and theory, it may involve a more profound understanding of musical style and structure. Beyond the confines of the classroom, it could simply involve maintaining attentive silence.
As a violin and viola teacher I am particularly enthusiastic about working closely with students to develop practical performance and career skills necessary for modern string players. These include not only technical proficiency and musical sensitivity, but also versatility in a number of performance contexts, and knowledge of different styles, genres, and their historical backgrounds. In line with the different performance skills required nowadays of professional musicians, I encourage and help my students to seek out as many opportunities to collaborate in ensembles as possible. In particular, I believe that playing in string quartets and piano trios is an especially good venue for violinists and violists to develop skills of musical leadership, coordination, and the ability to negotiate creative decisions. To that end, I am keen on coaching student chamber groups, and introducing them to a wide range of repertoire from different historical periods.
While at AU I have implemented a teaching approach that creates a learning environment designed to support student collaboration, the so-called flipped classroom method. In my lecture-style classes, which have included the freshmen music theory/ear training sequence, courses in music history, rock n’ roll and society, and form and analysis, I avoid lecturing to a passive audience whenever possible, instead letting students prepare for each class in advance through reading and homework assignments, allocating time for group work, and encouraging them to consider the classroom as a safe space for dialogue and development of their ideas.
I believe that there is not a single, ideal way of teaching music. One must approach each student differently, considering not only the student’s level of proficiency, but also his or her physical and mental abilities, and sensitivity. From this perspective, I am also keenly attentive to the fact that not every student will go on to become a professional musician, which is why my philosophy emphasizes teaching skills –– such as leadership, discipline, accountability, and collaboration –– that have a wide applicability in life.
