Guitar Lessons in Lincoln, NE

Instruments: Saxophone

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I had an older cousin that I looked up to who played and had an extra one for me to borrow at age eleven. Originally, my school was not offering saxophone to 6th grade students but my mother insisted that I play and somehow convinced the band director to allow it. I also remember listening to an album of my dads with some very different saxophone sounds. One was jazz and the other, funk. This made me really consider the versatility of the horn and how I could use it to express my voice in a unique manner.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the blue ribbons I was awarded in solo and ensemble during grade school. I performed solo pieces with piano accompaniment and in saxophone quartets with my friends. During senior year of college, I received a few thousand dollars worth of scholarship money for university. During my sophomore year of college, I was awarded a scholarship in honor of my professor of saxophone who had been retiring after 39 years of teaching. Another accomplishment I'm proud of is passing the rigorous audition process for working on a cruise line.

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Many of my students have won blue ribbons in competition and been honored first chair for their instrument category. I've helped kids achieve passing grades for playing tests and succeed in chair tests. I've taught a couple of students the techniques of college audition preparation, which I'm very proud of. One of my girls even went on a scholarship to the University I attended. I haven't yet had the opportunity to teach a kid long enough for them to move from middle school to high school but I'm hoping the day in near!

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The hardest thing to master on the saxophone is altissimo because in order to master that, you first need to master the overtone series. The overtone series consists of "hidden" high notes within the low register of the horn. You can exploit these notes by overblowing on your mouthpiece, tightening your jaw and opening your throat wide as if you were yawning. This is the most difficult exercise for your embouchure but it can really strengthen those muscles and take your playing to the next level.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Hal Leonard has amazing transcription books that are very useful for sight reading for beginners. They also produce a great deal of beginner books with CD play alongs that make it easier for a new student to pick things up faster. One good one for the intermediate player would be the Ferling etudes for woodwinds. These are excellent scalar pieces written for oboe that make great exercises no matter what instrument you play. There is great content in all professional publishing companies so there's really no bad choice!

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