Trombone Lessons in Hometown, IL

Instruments: Trombone

I love music and teaching my students the art of creating music is one of the greatest experiences any person can achieve. I was born and raised in Florida where I received my Bachelor of Music degree from Florida State University and Master of Music degree from the University of South Florida, where I was also a teaching assistant in the trombone studio and a music appreciation course. I left Florida to pursue my Doctorate at CCM in Cincinnati and I now live in Chicago. Read More

Instruments: Trombone Euphonium Tuba

The most important thing that I can teach a student is good habits. One of my first teachers always said "I'm not here to teach you to play the trombone, I'm here to teach you how to practice the trombone." That has esentially been my teaching philosophy since then. The half hour to an hour that I would be spending with a student each week is not enough time to turn them into a great trombone player, so the most important thing to do in lessons is to teach them how to practice the instrument when I am not in the room with them. Read More

Instruments: Trombone Euphonium

The point of music is to have fun creating art, sharing that gift, all while learning a skill that not many others are able to learn, but here are so many other benefits from what you learn that can be utilized for the rest of your life. These lessons include, but are not limited to discipline, work ethic, focus, problem solving, compassion, historical knowledge, and countless others. I am aware that not every person I teach will continue playing music for the rest of their lives, but if I can instill some of those above stated principles into my students, then that is a success in my book. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone

I have experience performing and teaching in a wide variety of settings. While a music student at the University of Iowa, I performed with all three concert bands and two jazz bands as well as playing in orchestral and chamber settings. After graduating from Iowa with a degree in music performance and education, I performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra as well as a ska/rock band. I have also had the opportunity to perform abroad, playing with the University of Kent concert band, orchestra, and jazz band in the United Kingdom. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trombone Euphonium Music

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with a compilation of books that I have founded very helpful through my research in methods or etudes. There is a goal per lesson which should be aproached easily to practice. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More