Christopher S
Instruments: Saxophone, Flute
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&b, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Avant-Garde

I began teaching lessons while in high school. I first taught elementary and middle school students, eventually progressing to my high school peers. My primary goal with younger students is to inspire and develop their own interest in the music. Consistent practice is much easier to accomplish when the student wants to improve on his/her own, rather than viewing practice as another homework assignment. I have been teaching consistently now for 11 years, evolving significantly both as a saxophonist and teacher. With each lesson, I hope to leave students feeling motivated and excited about music. It can take time before a student realizes the joy of playing his/her instrument. I try to get to that point as quickly as possible by making lessons fun, highly interactive, and encouraging. When possible, I encourage and often escort students to local music venues to experience live performance. This is a great tool to motivate and inspire as well as open dialogue about the joys of music.  

With beginners, I focus on developing sound fundamentals. It's important to avoid any bad habits and beginning students are lucky in that they have the opportunity to establish proper technique from the very start. As students progress, I use books such as the Universal Method and Rubanks Duets to learn to read notes and understand rhythms. Duets are an amazing tool as they hold students responsible for their individual part, while still functioning as a supportive and interactive activity. As students become more advanced, I introduce music theory and cover basic improvisation. If students have any particular interests, we work on them while continuing to improve technique, sound, sight-reading, ear training, improvisation, and all the other fundamental skills needed to play at a high level.