Saxophone Lessons in Great River, NY

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet Recorder Keyboard

I'm just starting out pursuing teaching as a professional. During my undergraduate degree, I gave some piano lessons to a next door neighbor, and also also tutored my professor's daughter in music theory. Those moments were crucial for developing what I want to be doing: infusing music lessons with music theory and composition. I feel that learning to play music becomes an entire new experience when one understands the theory behind what they are playing and and furthermore is excited about generating their own material. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

This, too, varies based on the individual student. I pride myself on my flexibility, and always try to run my lessons based on what best fits the student's personality and learning style. I always, however, provide a thorough and comprehensive music educationI want my students to understand the music they're learning, not just learn how to play their instrument. And most importantly, I strive to maintain a patient, encouraging learning environment. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute

My approach to teaching can be different based on the age and level of the student. In general I like to keep the pressure off my students and above all find ways to make learning fun and enjoyable. My ideal lesson is one that the student will remember, whether it's a concept we talk about or a song that we learn. I try and teach my students more than how to play notes on a page and to learn songs, but how to discover and tackle projects themselves that otherwise might seem too big a challenge. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Keyboard

Hello, Im very excited about teaching students the very important basic principles of music when helping them realize their voice and ability to write and perform their own original music. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2008 with a degree in Professional Music and a focus in classical composition/jazz pedagogy/music theory/jazz performance. Ive had the wonderful pleasure of touring over 40 countries and recording with great artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff Tain Watts, Rudimental, Ravi Coltrane, John Blake, Kimberly Thompson, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Peter Evans, and many more amazing artists. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Music

I start with assessing the students' capabilities, after which I begin to develop the following areas: Development of their sound; Instrument Technique; Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Language; Theory and Jazz Harmony; Study and Development of Students' Own Repertoire. Depending on the level of the students and their needs, I push certain areas more or less. The key to becoming a successful student is to practice, to develop a good technique, but also to listen to a lot of music to develop the talent for music. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. 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. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. I have a unique process when dealing with students because I didn't study privately until I got to college. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Oboe

Depending on the individual needs goals of each student, I will customize lesson plans on a week-to-week basis. If there are no immediate goals for my students, I prefer to focus on classical technique and tone exercises that I compile through a variety of method books for each woodwind instrument. This includes but is not limited to: Moyse, Kroepsch, Baermann, Ferling, Shaw, Filas, Lacour, and many others. Classical technique is boring however, and I also believe that it should be applied towards learning real music that I will tailor to each student! Read More