Saxophone Lessons in Franktown, CO

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Flute Clarinet Recorder Piccolo Oboe Bassoon English Horn Music Keyboard Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Music is my passion and I'm here to help bring that passion and enjoyment of music to your life. I'm a hard working and dedicated teacher and performer. I graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in music education k-12 certification. I first moved to Colorado in 2007 when I was hired to perform in Grand Lake Colorado at Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre as their multiple woodwind performer in the orchestra. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet

For beginning improvisers, I rely solely on my own materials and exercises, which emphasize the bebop scale and short ii-V licks and help develop understanding of key centers and 7-3 resolutions. For intermediate students as well, these concepts are essential to development as an improviser. For saxophonists, I begin with scalar studies and stress the importance of tone developing exercises such as overtones and long tones, but quickly introduce manageable repetoire. Read More

Instruments: Voice Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Oboe Bassoon

When taking on beginner students, I typically use a blend of method books and novice musical pieces to begin to build musicianship. With intermediate musicians, I tend to seek out anything of interet to the student while incorporating harder repertoire to strengthen musicianship and to continue to peek interest in music. With adult musicians, I let them guide me to their area of interest, and I capitalize on that to guide them to better musicianship, no matter what their skill level may be. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Saxophone French Horn

I am very big on rewards programs and keeping students excited about what they are playing. This required reasonable, achievable goals that still push the student to go beyond their comfort level. Positive reinforcement is so important, especially with early players and when we hit walls in our growth. Seeing exactly where a student is at and understanding the encouragement they need is what makes a good teacher. Read More

Instruments: Saxophone

For beginning students, I always start with the Essential Elements book 1. I have found that the combination of foundational teaching and songs that accompany what was just discussed helps students feel like they are applying what they have learned to something the can show off to people to people around them. Once they move past that, I try to introduce solo repertoire that is appropriate for their level. This helps prepare them for future solo recitals. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Saxophone Clarinet

I have a great breadth and depth of experience with instrumental music education. Clarinet has been my primary performance instrument, but I have found over the years that the techniques that I use to teach clarinet are easily and successfully transferable to the other instruments that I teach. Besides the clarinet, I also teach saxophone, guitar, violin and piano throughout the Colorado Springs area. Of course the differences have to do with embouchere, fingerings (which are similar to the clarinet), and tone production. Read More

Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Bass Guitar

I started teaching two years ago at a private lesson studio in Denver called My Music Skool. My main focus was on piano and saxophone. Now I teach privately as a freelance musician. Two points I emphasize when teaching are practicing at least once a day no matter how long you play and learning what inspires you. There will always be some sort of theory I sneak in whether it's learning scales or building technical skills that will build confidence and ability, but if these devices aren't being applied to the type of music that inspires the student, then learning music becomes discouraging instead of fun. Read More