Saxophone Lessons in Hell S Kitchen, NY

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

Comprehensive method individually structured for each student.  Books depending on level and age start with Standard of Excellence and are individually chosen to support the student. 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. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

My first student was a NYC firefighter that I met in October 2001 right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was looking for a way to distract himself from the experience that he had gone through. Working with him and seeing how simply playing a note on the saxophone changed his vibe and relaxed him, I realized that music truly heals. Since then, my approach has been to get to know my student well and discover how I can help them enjoy the learning process. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I enjoy when my students show improvement through dedicated practice. I encourage this by setting achievable weekly goals for them. This can be as simple as working through a known exercise at a few metronome clicks faster than the previous lesson, or as complicated as learning a whole song in one or more entirely new keys. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Recorder Double Bass Music

It is important to adopt a teaching style that is tailored to the individual needs of each student, especially because each student learns at their own pace. Setting goals is one of the first topics I discuss with my students, and then indicate some of the steps they need to take to achieve the goals that they set for themselves. Keeping track of a student's hours of practice and their musical achievements is beneficial for me to determine what new material and concepts to work on, and also allows the student to stay organized and motivated.  Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Keyboard

My technique for teaching students vary depending on the student and their competency. If the student is a beginner I like to start them with the basics of theory and rhythm by explaining the circle of 5ths, major scales, minor scales, augmented, and diminished scales. Then once the student grasps the very basic concepts of music theory I then either have them bring in a song the would like to play or I will give them variations of Ferling Etudes or Bach Etudes to establish a solid foundation in music theory. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder

I love to see students grasp concepts.  It is extremely rewarding to see students understand a concept and be able to explain how neat it is to a parent or friend.  When I get a new student, I get to know exactly what their goals are.  We set long term goals, and we make progress by setting manageable short term goals every week.  I inspire the student to reach their goals by providing tools to help, and custom lesson plans that are fun and engaging. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet

My relationship with music making began at the age of 7 when I begrudgingly agreed to take piano lessons at the nudging of my parents. In the first lesson, my teacher taught me the theme from The Simpsons, and I was sold. It would be years before I would actually become competent at turning notes on a page into something musically expressive, but that day I went home knowing I had found something special, and that inertia has carried me to where I am today. Read More