Jeff P
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Blues, Latin Jazz, Swing

As an instructor at an after-school music academy, I coached jazz ensembles ranging in size from big band to combo and taught private saxophone lessons. From teaching students of most age levels, I have learned several approaches to teaching jazz music and improvisation. Connecting with each student in a way they understand and find enjoyable almost always leads to quicker and more satisfying results for the student. I am currently a teaching artist for the Herbie Hancock Institute through UCLA.

With private students, I customize my teaching methods to how each student best learns. I have several methods to teach most music concepts and saxophone technique so that I can better connect with each student’s learning style. I find students have a more enjoyable experience when I give them the chance to learn what they would like to play. For jazz students, I first have them identify a musician they enjoy listening to and begin exploring what makes that player unique. We work on sound production, articulation, stylistic considerations, rhythmic feel, and jazz vocabulary. Learning how to sound like the student’s role model helps to give them a context and approachable goals. We use jazz repertoire to build and enhance harmonic recognition and improvisational abilities.