The Bonner Philosophy

Instilling a Passion for Excellence

Beyond merely entertaining audiences, Bonner encourages his performers to engage passionately with their music—to truly communicate a mastery of experience and emotion. In every class, rehearsal and performance, his students are motivated to higher standards that will encourage them to develop and expand their God-given gifts and ultimately share their gifts with others.

Making Connections

In addition to preserving and enlivening music from the past, Bonner's music is forward-looking. His philosophy is driven by the idea of making connections: between the music and the performer, the performer and the conductor, and the performer and the audience.

Wide-ranging Performance Opportunities

Bonner believes that students and performers should have the opportunity to share music in a number of venues ranging from intimate church sanctuaries to celebrated concert halls. With each performance, they will be developing the charisma to communicate personally with the audience and take them to a higher level of self-discovery and awareness.

Perform early, often and in as many different venues as possible.
For those working in education, performing early on in the year is critical. Dr. Bonner believes that by performing during the first month on campus and continuing to do so until graduation, students will gain confidence and adaptability in diverse settings that will prepare them for anything they choose to do after graduation.

Learn to connect with your audience. 
Connecting with an audience is a skill that is honed through practice and performance. A lot of practice and performance. With each concert and rehearsal comes a unique opportunity for students to use their God-given gifts to connect with—and communicate meaning to—their audience. Dr. Bonner's goal is to give you the tools you need to connect with any audience, anywhere.