Piano Lessons in Bowie, MD

Jacob N

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Synthesizer Harmonica Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
The defining moment for me to become a professional musician was most likely the moment in middle school when I needed to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and the thing I loved to do most was play songs I heard on the radio on my clarinet and help others learn them as well.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I am currently attending Towson University for a degree in Music Education. I chose this degree because while I do enjoy playing and performing music, I feel like I would thrive better in an environment where I could help other musicians better themselves and love music more.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Any jazz piece that is played with a group[ is a dream piece for me. Not only is it an opportunity to show everyone you solo and solo with your rhythm section, but also a time to hear someone else's musical ideas, which is a crucial part of learning how to solo and become better.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
If I was not a musician, I would either be teaching science to a high school class or be a Chemical Engineer, I always loved science, math and teaching.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
My favorite genre of music to play is jazz and all of it's sub genres, my favorite sub genre being funk. My favorite funk artists are The Brecker Brothers.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
The reason I started to play more than one instrument is because in middle school, I knew that I wanted to be a music teacher and that music teachers needed to know how to play all instruments. Now, the reason that I practice so much flute, clarinet and oboe with saxophone is that I want to achieve "Woodwind Mastery", or the ability to play all woodwind instruments masterfully.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
For me, as a music major in college, I start with long tones and scale exercises, and then move on to my prepared pieces or whatever I am working on at the time. Usually, my practice time takes about 2 or 3 hours. The more you practice, the better you get.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose my primary instrument, Alto Saxophone, because it fits into so many different genres in a unique way. It also has a beautiful and unique sound in all of those genres respectively!

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
My most proud musical accomplishment is receiving the Semper Fidelis Award from the Marine Youth Foundation. This reward is given to one student in each school, chosen by the school and the foundation. The award is given to the student who shows the most traits of musical leadership, including Interest, enthusiasm, selfishness, endurance, knowledge, dependability and loyalty.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The saxophone, like many other instruments, has many aspects that are difficult to master, because mastery takes many many hours of practice. In my opinion, one of the hardest aspects of saxophone and music in general is shaping phrases not only in classical music, but all genres. Finding the way a phrase is supposed to be played, even in an improvised solo, can take many years of practice alone to learn how to shape, and then take advantage of.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If you have an instrument, you are ready to learn! I can teach any student from any level, even if they cannot make a sound yet or read music.

When will I start to see results?
Within a few weeks of practicing the skills taught in the lessons, you should begin to see results and improvement on those skills on your instrument, but this will all depend on how often you practice.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I did not have a teacher inspire me, but many of my friends began to play instruments before me, and I wanted to join the fun, so I began my musical journey with the clarinet.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
To practice with efficiency, it is important that you have a complete sense of focus. This means no TV, internet, replying to texts, etc while practicing. This may sound hard, but your practice will become more fruitful if you practice without any distractions.

Read More