Roger R
Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B, Musical Theater
Roger R
Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet
Styles:
Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B, Musical Theater
Where I Teach:
In Your Home
My Studio
Ages Taught: 8-80
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
BS, Carnegie Mellon University, Materials Science & Engineering
Awards:
2008, 2009, 2010 - NJ State Champion Jazz Band
2010 - CJMEA Region Symphonic Band
2010-2014 - Performed with Carnegie Mellon Jazz Orchestra
2016 - Mention as Found Sound New Artists of the Year for Eastend Mile
Overview:
I have been playing and gigging jazz music since I was right around 11. I work to make the saxophone into a multi-dimensional extension of myself. I was exposed to bands like Circa Survive and Lydia around the same time I was getting into monster players like Chris Potter, Kenny Garrett, and Chick Corea. My first love is pop music, so folks like Max Martin, Justin Timberlake and Panic! at the Disco are direct influences. I am a first generation Dominican-American who was born in the Bronx, NY and raised in New Jersey. My entire family is filled with musicians, so picking up music was a natural thing. I moved to Pittsburgh, PA for college to study engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. I'm currently a proud Pittsburgh resident, working and gigging all around the city.
EXPERIENCE
I've been teaching students saxophone privately since the age of 16. In between regular gigging and college, I've had the chance to teach a number of students in the past 7 years. One of my main goals in teaching young students is developing a keen sense of how to practice effectively. I like to encourage students to actively seek opportunities to perform and record music wherever they can, so I often times facilitate the process with my own contacts. I am a huge jazz nerd, but I also emphasize the practice of listening to music from all over the genre spectrum. Any age is welcome!
METHODS USED
From beginning students to advanced students, I try to figure out what their immediate and long-term goals are. I have technique books for all levels and try to incorporate building a solid base before moving forward. This includes warm-up essentials, custom practice plans, and required active listening. Analyzing certain pieces of music helps to streamline the process of getting a student to where he/she wants to be.
LESSON STYLE
I encourage progress. I love to see students become stronger and more confident musicians. I like to get students as much into "the real world" as possible, so I push for getting students performing as much as they are learning. I separate practice from performance, with an understanding that how a student sheds will be the core of what is possible in a performance setting.
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
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