Saxophone Lessons in Hempstead, NY

Instruments: Saxophone

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
The best practice is practice you enjoy. If you don't see the need to practice something, don't force yourself to do it! A teacher's job is to steer you towards music and techniques for learning that provide clear progress towards your playing goals. Any practice that employs exercises should be at the appropriate difficulty and make sense so that you can see and feel the effects it has on your playing. So how does one practice effectively? Practice what you enjoy! Even on a professional level, music is about your passion and experience first.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
All your child needs before starting lessons is a love a music! Yes, music is discipline and there is a lot of practice and hard work one must push through before becoming a professional level musician, but the joy that playing music brings is the center of attention in every lesson. As an educator, it is my job to provide your child the tools and experience they need to become literate in music and gain the ability to play in the style of musicians that inspire them. Step one with every student: find out what they love!

When will I start to see results?
Immediately! From the very first lesson, you will gain the perspective and focus to see a path towards your music performance goals. Every week following, we'll take steps together along that path! Lessons are focused around you, not your instrument. An instrument is simply a tool for making music, so your mastery of it should be the tool to unlocking your musical goals, not your main focus. Want to sound like John Coltrane? We won't sit around reading out of method books. We'll discuss what you love about John Coltrane's playing, figure out what he practiced, and focus on that. One of my my favorite things to do in lessons in practice with you. I don't just want to tell you what to practice, I want to help you practice practicing so that your improvement can always be immediate as possible.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I grew up in a small town in Alabama. In the sixth grade, I was given the choice to either join the band or sign up for Physical Education. My young self hated exercising, so I went to the band room and asked the director what the easiest instrument to play was. He told me "the saxophone." In the end, no instrument is "easy to play," but I'm so grateful he pointed me towards the sax. I never would have imagined that today I'd be a playing and teaching music professionally. I think that my experience is a testament to the power of music and the community it creates. I started with the intent of dodging sit-ups and laps around the track, but ended up falling in love with an art form and dedicating my life to it.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
Practicing always starts with listening. I listen to one of my favorite songs and then I listen to a recording of myself to begin every session, that way I always have perspective of where I stand as a musician. I then use that perspective to determine exactly what skill or technique it is that separates a performance that I admire from my own playing and focus my efforts there. Making up my own exercises and methods for achieving those goals is crucial, because every musical journey is unique.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
I love playing pop music and top-40's hits. I play and write a ton of creative jazz music and perform with singer-songwriters playing original music in huge NYC venues, but there is something really special about pop. There's no feeling better than being on stage and seeing a young person jump to their feet, a couple slow dance, or an elderly mans face light up with reminisce as you play someone's favorite song. Popular music defines generations and connects deeply to the events that inspired them. It incites celebration and dance, and that's my favorite part about music.

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