Saxophone Lessons in Baldwinsville, MA

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet Keyboard

I have been my musical journey on clarinet in the second grade, and I have stuck with it ever since! I then picked up tenor saxophone to play in the jazz big band, and I began my piano journey at the end of high school to diversify my musical knowledge! I have gained a lot of experience playing in the professional music world through playing at Westfield State! From playing in WSU's symphony, to creating my own chamber ensemble, to playing in the jazz big band, to playing in a pit orchestra and even dabbling in chorus and chamber choir, I like to be as musically versatile and explorative as I can! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums

This is why I try to not ignore the deeper, more holistic aspects of the art, which is why I emphasize composition in my lessons. I will compose for my students pieces that highlight something they are working on, but I will also assign compositions for my students because kids love it and creativity yields a deeper connection to any given subject than, say, rote memorization. I love kids and do not stifle their creativity, without steering too far away from the task at hand, I like to listen to what they have to say because you never know what valuable information you may learn about their present perspective. 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: Saxophone

Eradicating bad habits early will help make picking up the instrument every day a much more enjoyable experience and reaping the rewards from this progress every week. I also emphasize self-discovery and experimentation in a student's development and daily practice. I make it fully known their practice and development is entirely personal and it is up to them how much they practice and how far they would like to go with their playing. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Oboe

For younger students, I typically assist and follow the method books students are working on. For example, they may use Standards of Excellence or Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements. These lesson books are crucial to teaching the fundamentals as a student is beginning to learn an instrument. I will break away from the books and introduce appropriate solo repertoire. I will also be mindful to the interests of the students to keep them engaged. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I'm a passionate musician, with a deep knowledge of many styles of music. I am equally motivated to help my students find success on the saxophone or clarinet, whatever their goals are. I have had the great fortune to play music on 4 continents, and recently played my first show (of hopefully more!) at the House of Blues in Boston, to a sold-out crowd. I have taken hundreds of lessons over the years from masters such as Dave Liebman, Gary Smulyan, and Lynn Klock. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Music

Fundamentals come from slow practice, and unfortunately, there is no true fun way of doing it. However, I pair technical work with listening assignments, so that the students actually see the point of fundamental training. Hanon is the one book that has stayed with me for two decades and I adhere to its various training regimens very closely. The book itself may be insufficient, but the auxiliary exercises I designed will improve the practice efficiency. Read More