Coleman H  
Instruments: Piano, Voice, Synthesizer, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Latin, Hip Hop, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Avant-garde

I have been teaching students since early high school, starting on teaching middle schoolers classical clarinet. I did not teach much throughout college, as I had a very busy schedule entailing performing, rehearsing, composing, arranging, etc. However, I have taken pedagogy and education courses in both jazz and beyond, learning the methods and skills needed to teach students of all ages! I believe learning and playing what you love early on is the key to developing on your instrument, and the key to developing YOUR sound! I want my student to create their musical identities, and help them shape their personalities in their journey. Most of all, I want them to enjoy doing it, while also working hard and developing skills that go beyond our lessons! My goal as an educator is to share everything I know that can help my students so that they can go out into the world and play with confidence, and to feel good about the music that they make!

When it comes to jazz, I think learning the basics of the language is key! I like to use Jim Snidero's book "Jazz Conceptions" for many beginner to advanced students to study etudes that will help them internalize the ins and outs of what professionals play in their improvisation. I also encourage students to experiment on their own time on what kind of music they want to play, while also encouraging them to practice material that will propel their musicianship, especially for beginner and intermediate students. For more advanced students, I like to lean towards assigning some transcriptions to learn, and hand-picking what artists' playing will benefit my students the most. For all students, I also enjoy diving into some music theory and explaining why things work and why things in music make sense! Most of all, I want to make sure my students are engaged, having a good time, and are given enough material to work with in and out of lesson time to make sure that they have the tools to be the best musician they can!