Saxophone Lessons in Newtonville, MA

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I was recently hired by Pearson to create a series of instructional videos to accompany their new textbook. In them, I teach students about different words one uses to write about music (timbre, tempo, etc). The publisher has called me "a natural, with a colloquial style that is very engaging and easy to understand." While I am otherwise new to teaching music, I have taught sailing for the past 9 summers of my life. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Recorder

For beginning students I like to start with a method book, such as "Tradition of Excellence". This allows students to start from the very beginning, especially if the student does not have previous music reading experience. I teach reading and playing hand in hand so that it becomes a memorized process. After working through the method book, I will create individualized lesson plans, to include solo repertoire, band music, or other methods books. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Flute Clarinet Organ Synthesizer Recorder Piccolo Oboe Bassoon Keyboard

I am a life-long musician [age 5 - present] from a family of musicians who have played with everyone from Fanny Brice (my grandfather) to Benny Goodman (my mother) to Steve Miller (myself). I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston , MA from 1975-1979 and left (5 weeks short of my degree) to perform in a rock band who toured for 5 years in the US and Canada. Having played everywhere from Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado to Elkhorn Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho to Valdez, Alaska to Cobo Hall in Detroit,Michigan, I have lengthy performance credentials and even more varied experience in the styles and situations that I have performed in that include: rock band, orchestra, concert band, jazz combo, folk duo, Big Band, marching band, drum corps, celtic rock band, traditonal gaelic ceili, flute choir, pit band, church choir, chorus, show choir, vocal solo, commercial voice-overs, vocal duet, musical theatre, etc. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Synthesizer Ukulele Recorder Piccolo Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My passion for teaching began in my Junior year of high school in 2011-2012, when I spent 6 months teaching guitar lessons to elementary school students at a local YMCA after-school program. With a class size of approximately 10-15 students, I learned many valuable teaching methods for students of all backgrounds and learning methods. Later that year, I said goodbye to my students to move to Boston and attend Berklee College of Music, however, in summer of 2014, I revived my passion for teaching when I started a saxophone lesson program at Brighton's All 'Bout Christ church. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet Keyboard

I like listening to the student and determining where their skill level best would fit in with my curriculum. From there, I will formulate a lesson plan that will not only have the student steadily progressing through the lesson material by using instrumental method books that encourage growth at their current skill level, but I will also introduce solo repertoire materials that help the student establish themselves as an individual musical creator and artist! Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo

For beginners I often start with the Standard of Excellence, but it does not take long before we start to get into more individualized education. For example, a student may be bound for high school jazz band, in which case we will immediately begin on music theory and scale/mode practice from as early as 5th grade. On the other hand, I may have a high school flute student who wants to audition for conservatory, in which case I would use some Marcel Moyse books, orchestral excerpt practice, and standard solo repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Oboe

For younger students, I typically assist and follow the method books students are working on. For example, they may use Standards of Excellence or Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements. These lesson books are crucial to teaching the fundamentals as a student is beginning to learn an instrument. I will break away from the books and introduce appropriate solo repertoire. I will also be mindful to the interests of the students to keep them engaged. Read More