Trombone Lessons in Westminster, CA

Instruments: Trombone Bass Guitar Euphonium

Everybody is different, and everyone responds to different types of motivation. As a teacher it is part of my job to find out what that is for each student. I believe that success breeds success, and starting with achieveable goals and realizing results will motivate and inspire a student, but there is also no getting around practice, you must put in the time on your instrument to be successful and to progress. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

Once the student feels comfortable with the mouthpiece and the long tones, I acquaint the student with fundamentals such as the positions, partials, scales and different types of articulations. For intermediate and advanced students, I focus on repertoire. Applying practices similar to what I have described above, I work with the student on playing repertoire with expression and facility. First I introduce them to short melodies that excercise skills in articulation and phrasing (called "etudes"). Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba

I am a very patient teacher and I understand that students learn at different paces. Therefore I set realistic goals that the student can achieve and WANT to achieve. By setting a goal they can and want to achieve through 10-15 minute practices over 3, 4, 5, or even 6 days a week, it pushes the student to put in the minimal work to progress and grow to be the musician they want too be or even didn't know they could be. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trombone Drums Synthesizer Ukulele Orchestral Percussion Latin Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

After I first received my Bachelor's Degree from CSU Fullerton, I opted to showcase my original music through distinct outlets. One of the resulting projects, themattsmithneujazztrio, has recorded three full-length records; my other project, JUICEBOX, has recorded two. I gained a masters of music in jazz drum set from California Institute of the Arts, where I was honored to record my own composition for the CalArts, 30th Annual Jazz CD at Capitol Records. Read More

Instruments: Trombone

My experience as a teacher spans from advanced college students working on technique and improvisation, all the way to helping beginners play their first notes on the trombone. Before relocating to LA, I was on faculty at the University of Texas Arlington and taught jazz trombone lessons, ensembles, and brass pedagogy. At the University of North Texas, I spent several years directing big band ensembles, while also privately teaching arranging and composition. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone French Horn

 I formally began teaching private lessons fifteen years ago and love to see the rapid musical growth that can be achieved with focused one-on-one instruction. For the last ten years, I have been a band, orchestra, and choir director at the middle school level in the Long Beach Unified School District.  This experience has helped me to streamline my music teaching process and become a much more efficient teacher in private lessons. Read More

Instruments: Piano Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet French Horn Piccolo Oboe

For stringed instruments, I uses the Suzuki method for teaching the basic repertory of the instruments. This method is an ear training method in which the student plays by ear. It starts out very simple so students of all ages can learn and progress very quickly. For learning to read music I use one of the method books like "A Tune a day" or Strictly Strings which teach the fundamentals of read music and music theory. Read More