Clarinet Lessons in San Francisco, CA

Instruments: Piano Voice Clarinet

When I was ten, I made the decision that whatever career I chose, I needed it to allow me to help people. As I got older and discovered that music was the thing I most wanted to do in this life, teaching voice and piano became the vehicle I needed to keep doing music as well as help people, like I wanted. In training my voice classically, I had the very best instructor who taught me how to sing the healthy way. Read More

Instruments: Piano Clarinet

35 years teaching piano, music arranging, composition, theory, technique, personal expression. Beginning - Intermediate - Advanced. Intructor for Music School of Alameda. Music School at Sherman Clay, Private Music Studio, Music Director, 1st Trinity Lutheran Church Pianist for string orchestra, chamber groups, duos, trios, quartets, quintets. Accompanist for Vocalists, Instrumentalists. Pianist for Jazz Quartet Solo Pianist Classical, Jazz, Contemporary for Private Celebrations, Weddings, Birthdays, Graduations. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet

I use a two pronged approach to my lessons. I start with fundamentals, especially focusing on two areas: sound and counting. 1.) Sound: Over the last 34 years, I've found that the student who does not sound good - even though he or she can play all notes and rhythms - will not be pleasing to anyone who hears them play. What good is it if he can play all rhythms and notes and sound bad? Read More

Instruments: Clarinet

I like to ground my teaching in a line my own teacher, Carey Bell, often told me-- "if you make a mistake, no one dies!" Music is a challenging discipline in every respect, so I encourage my students to approach it from as positive and joyful a place as possible where mistakes are not a failure but simply a sign that further work needs to be done. Achievement in performance is only rewarding when the student takes ownership of their playing, so I do everything I can to allow clarinet to be a real and positive presence in my students' lives. Read More

Instruments: Flute Clarinet

I have been teaching flute since 2006 in my home studio.  It began as being in the music intern for the beginning winds class that my high school had offered and the students who had picked flute had continued lessons with me after the class was over.  In 2013, I began teaching for Olga's Piano Studio as the private flute instructor.  I primarily teach classical music and tie in one or two styles of music that the student enjoys as well. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

My experience in teaching is not only in the musical aspect. I was also a Spanish teacher for Centro Latino in Berkeley. Teaching music is like teaching another languages. In my specialties, clarinet and saxophone, the pause, breathing and acentuation have a very important part in phrasing the notes. The melody should flow "as we speak", in a normal way and with the right entonation. I have two children who are also musicians, an 11 year old daughter and a 13 year old son. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone Clarinet

My style of teaching also varies greatly with each individual. Some students have specific music from school or from outside music groups that they want to learn and also need to learn the skills to be able to play that particular music. Other students come with a desire just to improve their current abilities, and we find ways to do that by choosing inspiring music together. Sometimes playing duets is a great way to do that, and when its not possible to play together in real time I make recordings that the student can enjoy playing with. Read More