About Me

 Hi, my name is Ari. I am a music, math and science educator living in Boulder, CO and have been teaching and tutoring students for over 5 years. 

Math and Science

Since primary school, my academic strengths were math and science and I was always fascinated by the natural world around us. So perhaps it was no surprise when I focused on earth science and geophysics once in college. I graduated Northwestern University in 2014 with a B.A. and honors in both Earth Science and Environmental Science and have earned an M.S. in geophysics at the University of California, Berkeley. I am currently on hiatus from my Ph.D program while I explore opportunities in Colorado. 

I began my tutoring and teaching career as a private tutor and substitute teacher in the Chicago area after graduating college. I worked one-on-one with middle and high school students on their math and science school work and helped prepare them for the SAT, ACT, and AP tests. After two years, I moved to Berkeley, CA to begin a graduate degree studying the physics of minerals inside the earth. As a graduate student, I have helped instruct courses for undergraduates, notably Introduction to Earth Science and served as an undergraduate research mentor for some of my students. Along with a group of fellow graduate students, I have volunteered to design basic science lessons and share them at public schools in the Bay Area where science programs have been underdeveloped.

Music

I have been playing music since the age of seven, when I started playing the piano. When I was 12, I shifted my attention to the guitar and have continued to focus primarily on string instruments ever since. In the past five years, I learned to play the bass guitar and upright bass in order to tour with a couple of bands, which has been a lot of fun and a major learning experience. These tours have taken me across the United States, to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Central America. Both with these bands and in my solo project I have recorded 3 studio albums, as well as a number of singles. At the current moment, I remain an active member of these bands while maintaining numerous collaborations with other artists both in the Denver area and around the world. I studied music in college, where I completed courses in music theory, composition, improvisation, and production. I have experience playing pop, rock, folk, jazz, blues, hip hop, R&B, funk, reggae, bluegrass, and country music, and am comfortable teaching any of these styles.

Other Interests

 I strive to balance my academic, creative, and recreational time in life. Beyond music and academics, I am also a dedicated outdoorsman and environmentalist. I love taking extended backpacking trips into the mountains, learning tracking and basic wilderness survival techniques, and simply running the trails near my house. I am passionate about understanding how our planet and ecosystem work and taking steps to make sure it remains a healthy place to live. I find that having these diverse interests have not only enriched my life, but have helped me find the inspiration to excel in each of these worlds. Ultimately, I believe that teaching with this balance of creativity and discipline develops the strongest and most self-motivated students.