Trombone Lessons in Calabasas Hills, CA

Instruments: Piano Trombone Synthesizer Keyboard

I'm an instrumentalist, producer, and artist who is infatuated with the concept of music. I find great joy in sharing with other's eager to learn about the art form. Primarily I have been a trombonist since a young age, but I also have a reputable amount of knowledge in piano. I have been lucky enough to play in many different musical settings from orchestra halls to jazz clubs across the world. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Harp Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Shakuhachi Oboe Bassoon English Horn Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Most recently Derek was the lead trombonist of the 2018 Disneyland All-American College Band. He has recently performed with Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin, Dave Holland, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Heath, Shaun Martin, Christian Jacob, John Beasley, Troy Roberts, Frank Greene, Brian Lynch, Jeff Jarvis, Steve Houghton, Jiggs Whigham, Sal Lozano, and John Clayton. Derek has had recent performances at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, the Smithsonian Institute, and the New World Symphony. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums French Horn Oboe

The methods that I choose to use with my students depends on what they want to learn. Some students want to just play classical music, some pop, some jazz, some marching band, etc. Therefore I do not use the same teaching methods for all students. With that being said, I do make certain that all of my srudents understand the basic elements of music, i.e., time and key signatures, note values, melody, rhythm, harmony, pitch, intonation (if a wind instrument), form, theme and variation, etc. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

I've played trombone for eleven years and have stuck with it for love of the instrument. I attended the LA County High School for the Art for three years, through which time I became serious about learning music. I went on to earn the Bob Cole Conservatory Scholarship at CalState Long Beach. My favorite courses were Brass Chamber Music and my various music history courses. I discovered a passion for Latin music history, and spent my last semester of college teaching music and English in Barcelona, Spain. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone French Horn

I always vary my teaching methods to accomodate each of my student's needs.  However, my lesson format stays fundamentally the same.  I always begin with some mouthpiece buzzing, which incorporates ear-training, then move to rhythm exercises, scales and technical studies, method book, and any other music the student is working on at the time. Most beginning students will start out with Book 1 of a standard method book; I recommend the Standard of Excellence series. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

I have taught trombone to all levels for over ten years. I worked with students in North Carolina and Chicago, and have taught trombone and music theory I like to give listening assignments as well, as it has been shown that students develop better technique when the music they practice what they are listening to. It also develops a historical understanding of the instrument, music, and musicians. My real world experience ranging from orchestras to dive bars. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

I have an easy-going style of teaching where I focus on the interests of the student first. The reality of learning an instrument is that unless practice is fun and interesting, there will not be enough of it. As such, I make sure to gamify the practice and find concrete ways to measure the progress of the student. In the end, I find that building a deep interest and encouraging a passion for music is a sure-fire way for students to grow as musicians while enjoying the journey at the same time. Read More