Trombone Lessons in Playa, CA

Instruments: Trombone

I received my Bachelor's in Jazz Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2006. Since then I performed with Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band, and my own hip-hop/soul band The Urban Sophisticates. I've worked with Ellis Marsalis, Talib Kweli, Arrested Development, Byron Stripling, Fred Wesley, Delfeayo Marsalis, Wallace Roney, Jimmy Cobb, and Robin Eubanks. I have performed on four continents, and on cruise ships world wide with numerous different ensembles. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Trumpet Trombone

I have taught private lessons to all ages since High School and this is where I feel like I thrive as an educator. I have coached for Harmony Project, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles and many others, as well as Drum and Bugle Corps and Marching bands throughout California. I have been the band director and general music educator for several elementary schools in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County Throughout the pandemic, I worked as Program Director for the Sacramento Mandarins, a nonprofit music academy with the mission of transforming the lives of youth through performing arts. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Synthesizer Recorder Euphonium French Horn Music Keyboard

For the younger beginning students, I usually start with Alfred's Beginning Piano Series. Once the student has a grasp of the fundementals, I will begin introducing major and minor scales as well as solo repertoire. For my adult students I will see their level of ability and musical interests, find appropriate material based on their taste and formulate the lesson to include fun stuff as well as build proper mechanics.  For my horn lessons depending on the skill level I being with Essential Elements or the Arban book and build from there incorporating solos of the greats, and songs that they want to learn to play. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Oboe

I truly believe that all learning, while serious in nature, should be fun and exciting in methodology. Living in the age of technology, there are so many ways to make learning fun and interesting for students. Whether it be sharing information from Youtube, educational sites such as The Teaching Channel, using digital music apps such as "Smart Music" for assessment, showing a student how to record themselves on their smartphones, all of these things can be brought in to the instructional experience. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba

For students learning their first instrument and learning how to read music, I like to spend the majority of the time buzzing on the mouthpiece, breathing, as well as studying and playing easy warm ups such as Remingtons. This way students can build their fundamentals for their instrument at the same time they are developing better reading skills. For more advanced beginners I have them read easy etudes to develop their reading and overall musicianship. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone French Horn

Through many years of teaching, I have found that being positive is the most effective way to help students succeed. Students should look forward to coming to their music lessons and thoroughly enjoy playing their instrument. I always try to avoid focusing on what a student is doing wrong, but instead point out ways to improve. If a student has the confidence and dedication to succeed, they are more than likely to do just that. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Ukulele Euphonium Tuba

Use all major method and etude books. Have a large library of rare etude books on PDF as well as my own exercises I've written out. Example trumpet books for intermediate student: Arban Clarke Sachs Schlossberg Stamp Charlier Vizzutti Bai Lin Irons etc I encourage students to find music they would like to play, even if they aren't able to play immediately. I can modify the music to make it playable until they have progressed enough to play the original. Read More