Clarinet Lessons in Leather District, MA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Flute Clarinet Organ Synthesizer Recorder Piccolo Keyboard

I am a life-long musician [age 5 - present] from a family of musicians who have played with everyone from Fanny Brice (my grandfather) to Benny Goodman (my mother) to Steve Miller (myself). I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston , MA from 1975-1979 and left (5 weeks short of my degree) to perform in a rock band who toured for 5 years in the US and Canada. Having played everywhere from Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado to Elkhorn Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho to Valdez, Alaska to Cobo Hall in Detroit,Michigan, I have lengthy performance credentials and even more varied experience in the styles and situations that I have performed in that include: rock band, orchestra, concert band, jazz combo, folk duo, Big Band, marching band, drum corps, celtic rock band, traditonal gaelic ceili, flute choir, pit band, church choir, chorus, show choir, vocal solo, commercial voice-overs, vocal duet, musical theatre, etc. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I have always felt such a deep sense of satisfaction when a student finally nails a difficult tune or passage, or is introduced to something in music that blows their mind. Nothing is better than inspiring a student to grow and progress, and that has always been at the core of my teaching style. I always want to strike the balance between constructive criticism and praising accomplishment in our lessons, as I understand that realistically not everyone wants to play music professionally. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

Watchign a student improve right before your eyes is incredibly rewarding, as I have learned from my many years of teaching sailing. I think it is crucial to keep the student engaged so that this improvement remains attainable and consistent. This is accomplished by setting many small goals and by tailoring the lessons to the student's interest. If they enjoy classical rep, we will work on that, but if their favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band, we can also work on playing music in that style and many others like it as well. Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

To be a better musician requires a strong solid foundation of the fundamentals. Clarinet maintenance, equipment, reeds. Body posture, finger position, embouchure. Musical understanding and expression, scales, etudes, and other repertoire. When I meet a new or prospective student, I first evaluate where in their training are they coming from. Beginner - Amateur - Advanced and so forth. Depending on what I initially hear by their playing I would advise them accordingly and inquire what they hope to achieve out of the lessons. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo

For beginners I often start with the Standard of Excellence, but it does not take long before we start to get into more individualized education. For example, a student may be bound for high school jazz band, in which case we will immediately begin on music theory and scale/mode practice from as early as 5th grade. On the other hand, I may have a high school flute student who wants to audition for conservatory, in which case I would use some Marcel Moyse books, orchestral excerpt practice, and standard solo repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Synthesizer Ukulele Recorder Piccolo Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginners, I have a multitude of etudes, simple songs, and exercises to encourage sight-reading, finger comfortability, and basic cognitive understanding of music fundamentals such as scales. For guitar, I usually begin with fun simple songs such as "What do we do with the Drunken Sailor" and a simple blues. For woodwind instruments, I'll typically begin with songs such as Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, or some holiday songs during the holiday season. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

My goal is to teach my students to be musicians, and for them to walk away every week with a deeper appreciation for music. I believe in nurturing all my students' creativity while challenging their skills to help them achieve their goals. I continuously acknowledge their achievements, but will remind them of what needs improvement. My students are given multiple opportunities to perform as a soloist or as part of a small ensemble in recitals throughout the year. Read More