Saxophone Lessons in Olalla, WA

Instruments: Saxophone Flute

I am a passionate, experienced musician with a special place in my heart for helping beginners. I have two years of teaching fifth grade, middle school, and high schoolers with flute and saxophone. I want to primarily work with young or beginner flute players to help build them up into prominent players and watch them grow. I have been invited to play professionally and for fun all over Southern Oregon since I was a Junior in high school, and since then have also been asked to come teach at many schools around the area. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet

I teach not only how to play the instrument proficiently, but how to play it musically. Techniques and proficiency are taught along side musicianship, expression and appreciation for all musical styles. Students are also assigned a Question of the Week and a Listening Assignment to enhance their knowledge of their instrument, its function in music, and about music as a whole. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet

For my younger students I usually start with major and minor scales tied in with simple to challenging etudes. I do not have a specific book that I work out of, though if the student has one that they work out of I would be happy to accommodate. For adults I usually have the same approach, but we will focus more on a specific genre or style that they may want to emulate. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

For methods; it will honestly depend on if the student has been working through something with a prior lesson teacher or after the first lesson and seeing what the interest is in either jazz or classical will go from there. For classical; I would utilize the Rubank method books that I used when doing classical music. For jazz studies, I find it more beneficial to start with the Charlie Parker Omnibook, Realbook, then start learning things by ear and memory depending on the level of the student and the progress we are making. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Keyboard

As much as I discuss with students what to practice, however, I think it’s more important to emphasize how to practice efficiently. The patience and focus needed to execute a song correctly is as much an exercise in meditation as it is about performing music. As I tell my students, the mind is the true instrument. Once they know what the symbols on the chart mean, where their hands have to go, and how a song is supposed to sound, they will have no trouble making music. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Flute Shakuhachi Conga

I have very high standards for teaching.That is why I did not start teaching until my fourties.At that point I felt that I had both the life experience and skills to be a good teacher.There is a lot more to playing music than just playing the right notes.That is what I call the mechanics of music but the not the soul.Obviously you must start with the basics to get to any deeper level of expression.That is what I am most passionate about.Why does anyone want to play an instrument? Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

I started off by giving friends mini lessons back in college. I then moved on to teaching privately out of a music school and realized from that point, that I really enjoy teaching and sharing my knowledge and passion with others. I find it rewarding and fulfilling to see my students get excited about learning music, my aim is to further grow their passion and thirst for musical knowledge. I believe no student will want to learn if they don't feel excited about the subject, this is why I find ways to package the somewhat dry and tedious parts of music into a more exciting and palatable chunks. Read More