Saxophone Lessons in Wheaton, MD

Instruments: Piano Voice Saxophone Flute Recorder Piccolo Music Keyboard

My materials and methods differ depending on the pupil's age/ability. For a young 11 year old beginner, homework assignments will begin with the instrument itself, and then eventually Book One of any method book desired. Popular practice dictates good results with books like Yamaha and Standard of Excellence. For middle-level ability (middle school / early high school), the Rubank series is perfect. Finally, with middle and above levels; solos, ensemble work, duets, and additional etude books will be used. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Djembe

My approach to teaching is based on a large amount of communication between the students, the parents, and I. I love to know what my students are thinking in order to enhance what they are looking for in musicianship. I believe that musicians should be allowed to play and learn freely, however, the foundation given by learning jazz theory, gives any musicianship a bigger dynamic of playing for whatever genre they specifically like to play. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

I am a recent VCUarts Music graduate. My concentration was jazz saxophone. I have been playing saxophone for over 20 years, but the last four years have been intense, as I was working diligently to complete my music degree. I have been a member of several small jazz ensembles since 2019, and I also served as lead tenor saxophonist in VCU's Jazz Orchestra I for two years. My biggest takeaway from VCU is that I have a genuine love for music, and I am committed to spending the rest of my life learning about it. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

I intend to see progress in every student! I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at the begging of each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps boost a student hunger to learn more! By trying to find out what inspires the student I can succefully tailor my instruction to the wants and needs of every student. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Bass Guitar Organ Music Keyboard

My teaching methods focus on building on the fundamentals of embodied proficiency with music (not just how to "read what's on the page", but first how to feel and delve into what's happening with all the moving parts and their many relationalities). For both children and adult students, before getting into structures and representations, the starting point will be the embodied feelings and experiences of and around music. In the first lesson, even my absolutely-beginner students will be having fun jamming, exploring and applying newly-learned things before we even talk about what a major scale is. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet Music

My teaching philosophy encourages exploration of music with a focus on the uniqueness of each individual student and their particular aspirations, typically emphasizing reading classical music and improvising solos for Jazz or other more contemporary styles while having fun growing as a musician! I try to make sure lessons are fun and rewarding by adapting my teaching style to focus on the student's learning style and interests. For jazz students I encourage a lot of back and forth play-a-long between myself and the student or between the student and a play-a-long track. Read More