Clarinet Lessons in Arcadia, CA

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

My goal as a teacher is to see my students grow not only in skill, but in their love for music. With this in mind, I make a special effort not to overwhelm my students. I know that every person has a different set of talents and strengths, so I design my curriculum to fit each students' needs. As a whole, the idea behind my teaching is to create a challenge without creating stress because at the end of the day, happy students produce great music! Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I have been teaching music for over 17 years. My teaching experience includes private saxophone, flute, clarinet, and piano lessons. Additionally, I've given clinics, taught group lessons, and directed bands at various music workshops for grades 4-8. A seasoned teacher, I have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of students, of varying ages, skill levels, and learning capabilities. Years of experience have molded me into a highly flexible teacher, able to adapt quickly and easily to the needs of different learners. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Harp Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Shakuhachi Oboe Bassoon English Horn Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Most recently Derek was the lead trombonist of the 2018 Disneyland All-American College Band. He has recently performed with Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin, Dave Holland, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Heath, Shaun Martin, Christian Jacob, John Beasley, Troy Roberts, Frank Greene, Brian Lynch, Jeff Jarvis, Steve Houghton, Jiggs Whigham, Sal Lozano, and John Clayton. Derek has had recent performances at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, the Smithsonian Institute, and the New World Symphony. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I began teaching saxophone in college, and since graduating I have taught students in Los Angeles as well as around the world, as far as New Zealand.  I love to spread the knowledge I have gained from my experience as a professional musician to any up and coming musicians who want to learn. I teach all levels of saxophone up to the most advanced/professional, up to intermediate level on flute and trumpet, and beginner level clarinet. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I like my students to bring a small notebook, so that they may write their homework down, and any practice assignments.  I expect my students to keep a practice log of how much time they practice per week, in between lessons.  I always insist that setting goals and expectations for them, is very important, as well as keeping track of whether they themselves are staying on task.  I try and incorporate different ways of practicing or playing music, so that even practicing turns into being fun and exciting and doesn't feel like a chore.  Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

My main focus in my teaching, regardless of the level of the student, hones in on strengthening the fundamentals of playing clarinet (air, mouth position, posture, finger position, etc). When the student has a strong set of fundamentals, there's no limit to what they can do or play. If the student is more in the beginning stages of learning clarinet, I will mostly focus on these for the first two or three lessons before we advance on to playing music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Fiddle French Horn Piccolo Oboe

For stringed instruments, I uses the Suzuki method for teaching the basic repertory of the instruments. This method is an ear training method in which the student plays by ear. It starts out very simple so students of all ages can learn and progress very quickly. For learning to read music I use one of the method books like "A Tune a day" or Strictly Strings which teach the fundamentals of read music and music theory. Read More