Saxophone Lessons in Clarendon Hills, IL

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Ukulele Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Electric Guitar Djembe

The approach, overall, is to drive toward the student's goal. When someone wants to learn how to play an instrument well enough to play in a band or orchestra, I usually consider two needs - playing music and interpreting written music. These are basic parts of education, literally easy to define by achieving pages in etude books. In addition, though, there is a third component to meeting the set goal: writing music - a sensibility that you can create. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I like to start beginning students with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements books. When students move on to other materials, I draw upon their interests and the genre in which they are playing to find materials. I encourage classical students to listen to the repertoire so they can bring in pieces that they want to work on. I use a variety of method books with my jazz students, depending on the specific goals of the lesson, but I also place emphasis on ear training and transcription. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Oboe English Horn

As I said earlier I tend to use the Rubank and Essential Element books in lessons. I start with seeing what the students goals are and making a goal sheet. For instance if a student is interested in Musicals. We will start with our basic warm up and techniques but on top of that I would assign an excerpt from a musical that correlates with the current lesson. So that way the student is working toward their goal and having fun doing so. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Recorder Euphonium Tuba Mallet Percussion

For beginning students I believe it's important for them to begin playing the first day. I get the students to make their first sound and teach the technique and theory as they learn their instrument. For beginning voice students I use the same method, but I like to use a song that the student knows. For students with experience I like to have them play or sing something they know and I evaluate that and I will work with them on that song and build their technique. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

The most important aspect of teaching music is to keep the student excited and engaged! I want my students to be eager to learn. I keep all lessons fun and casual, but stress the importance of hard work. I always encourage daily practice sessions, even if just for 15 - 20 minutes. Repetition is key! I discuss our goals for the lessons (what do you want to get out of the lesson? why do you want to learn saxophone?) and strive to meet our goals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I typically divide my lessons into quarters so that the first part is just scale work. The second part is scale patterns and technique. The third portion is prepared materials, and the final portion is listening. I bring an Ipod with close to 750,000 songs on it for kids to choose pieces featuring their own instruments for inspirational purposes. I find that listening can be just as informative as pressing down keys:) Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Music

Teaching is something I have always felt passionately about. I first started teaching at the age of 14, teaching martial arts to young kids nearly every day at my stepfather’s martial arts school. As I grew up and began taking music more seriously, teaching remained an important part of my life: as clarinet section leader in the Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band in Hawaii, I was responsible for administering weekly lessons to other clarinet players in the band, and I also worked with several school music programs in Hawaii, developing and leading masterclasses for K-12 students. Read More