Clarinet Lessons in West Berlin, PA

Instruments: Clarinet

I consider myself to be a technical musician and I enjoy passing on knowledge about bagpipes to beginners and experienced players alike. I grew up playing pipes in Pennsylvania and began on the practice chanter at 10 years of age. Growing up near Pittsburgh, I happened to be in an area of the U.S. that had many good pipers as well as a successful summer camp program. This allowed me to receive fantastic instruction as a teenager, and I always found it to be very motivating to be around some of the top pipers in the world. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

For beginning and intermediate clarinet and saxophone students I like using the Yamaha Advantage books or the Belwin Series. I like to use these lesson books and supplement with solo and duet material. I always encourage my students to bring in material they'd like to work on, from school band music to popular tunes they are intereseted in learning. I think it is important for all aspiring musicians to collaborate with others and make sure to play along with students in our lessons. I ask my students to plan their practice time each week, as I know how busy we all are! Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

For beginner students, I start with teaching them the foundational clarinet skills including: embouchure, breathing, tonguing, and music theory. I then proceed to teach them the chromatic and major scales as well as arpeggios. I typically have students start off with working through the Essential Elements for Band and Rubank books. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance or audition piece. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

For teaching clarinet students who are beginners, I use the book authored by Texas Lutheran University clarinet professor, Paula Corley entitled "So You Want to Play the Clarinet". Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I usually move to the Rubank books because of their varied content. If the student is working with a school group, we will sometimes work on that repertoire, but improving technique in general is always my focus. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

I have been a private lesson instructor of students in grades 4-12 for over 6 years. I have experience and familiarity with multiple teaching methods and repertoire, and I always do my best to personalize the lesson experience for each individual student. I also recently completed my student teaching experience within the State College Area School District. Each day for a total of over five months, I worked with students in the elementary and high school level across bands, choirs, general music, and small group lesson instruction. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I encourage progress. I love to see students become stronger and more confident musicians. I like to get students as much into "the real world" as possible, so I push for getting students performing as much as they are learning. I separate practice from performance, with an understanding that how a student sheds will be the core of what is possible in a performance setting.  Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet

My teaching experience spans many different ensembles and levels. I have taught private students of all levels in both jazz and classical, as well as instructing collegiate jazz ensembles, collegiate saxophone quartets, high school jazz ensembles, and high school marching bands. I have been teaching private students for over two years. In private lessons, I like to emphasize music that the student enjoys most - I take pride in helping to spark my students' passion and motivation. Read More