Saxophone Lessons in Monrovia, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Harp Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Shakuhachi Oboe Bassoon English Horn Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Hello and thank you for having an interest in my teaching profile! My name is Derek, and I am a 24-year-old musician originally from Indiana. I am a passionate and motivated instructor and look forward to meeting you and sharing my love of music with you. I have been teaching students of all ages for 10 years now. If it would interest you, please take a minute to read my biography to find out more about me! Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Oboe

The methods that I choose to use with my students depends on what they want to learn. Some students want to just play classical music, some pop, some jazz, some marching band, etc. Therefore I do not use the same teaching methods for all students. With that being said, I do make certain that all of my srudents understand the basic elements of music, i.e., time and key signatures, note values, melody, rhythm, harmony, pitch, intonation (if a wind instrument), form, theme and variation, etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Harmonica Recorder Electric Violin Fiddle Piccolo Oboe English Horn Keyboard

I am a classical trained musician. I was brought up in Bloomington Indiana, the home of the no.1 rated music school in the States (by the teacher's association). Ever since I was 10, I was involved with the University music life. I had the fortune to study with Janos Starker - perhaps the greatest cello technician in the world! His playing style is comfortable, clean, natural, and free of tension problems. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet

The true role of a teacher is to open the door for a student to discover things on their own.  Because every student has different ways of learning different things, a teacher must be able to guide a student through the process and find what works the best for them.  Also, I am more interested in engaging a student in the spirit and emotion of music, rather than just the technical aspect of playing an instrument. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet

For younger beginning students, I typically use a method book, such as Accent on Achievement or something similar. For older beginners, I typically use the Rubank beginner's book. With this book, the student learns the fundamentals for their instrument. Once the student demonstrates an understanding of this, we will move on to sheet music. For more advanced students, we will typically use an etude book like Klose to explore the technical aspects of musical performance (such as technique development, phrasing, dynamics, etc.). Read More

Instruments: Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder

When I was in middle and high school, I can say that I was not the most talented saxophonist. Even in college, I had to play catch-up. I never had access to a teacher that provided me with the insight to develop myself. That was true until, my third year of higher education. My passion and drive to become a better version of my past flared. For me, music is a passion and my life, but it is secondary to me. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Trombone Saxophone Clarinet

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music. Therefore, it is important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel a student's desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what truly inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and the needs. Read More