Saxophone Lessons in Swepsonville, NC

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Ukulele

During my years of teaching in East Lansing Michigan my band programs continually earned first and second division ratings at festivals. We took trips to Chicago every other year to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and to do a workshop at Northwestern University and my students received first and second division ratings at Solo and Ensemble both at the district and state levels. I was a judge for solo and ensemble and band festivals. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Music

I typically start out young students with the Essential Elements books, although I also like the Rubank books. If the students are enrolled in a band program, I try to go with the book used in school, while adding in supplemental material as I see necessary. I try to introduce numerous etude books including Ferling, Klose, and Rascher as a progression out of the method books previously mentioned. I try to discuss the interests of my students often to assess what will be an appropriate next step in their musical selection for them to make sure its challenging without causing an overreach and breakdown of their fundamentals Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Saxophone Drums Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music Djembe

I create my own lesson plans (and some materials) specific to each student. Some standard books I use are Alfred's Drum Method book 1, The New Breed, Portraits in Rhythm, The Drummer's Complete Vocabulary to name a few. The books are necessary for developing music literacy, however I remind students that the pages don't make sound!!! Developing a discerning ear is paramount in my approach. Therefore we do a lot of listening and I engage students in dialogue for them to develop a personalized mental image of what they are trying to play. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Accordion Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. The first lesson i assess the student's ability - whether they can play, read music, and what kind of music they like. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their level. 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: Saxophone Flute Clarinet Piccolo Oboe English Horn

For beginning students, we will spend a good amount of the first few lessons in developing core fundamentals. Once we have a solid foundation, I will start to add in some exercises. I work out of many books to expose my students to different methods of playing. For more advanced students, I will work with them on developing more characteristic sounds. We will also dive into deeper topics such as tone color, articulation style, and period specific styles. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

I have a strong love of music. I received my Bachelor of Music from East Carolina University and my Master of Music from Anderson University. I have been playing the saxophone for twenty-four years. I have also been a public school general music/band director for five years. I have been teaching saxophone for about twelve years. I am a full-time school teacher and professional musician. I have performed at many weddings, churches, private parties, and music venues ranging from New York City to Texas. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Piccolo Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard

I love when I get to see my students fall in love with music and have great passion for it. I take an individualized approach to each student, and I also set realistic goals so they can meet them. I want to make sure students improve, while not getting frustrated or bored. I think it is also important to make sure the student is always having fun, because creating music has to be a choice for a student to succeed. Read More