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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Saxophone lessons in Los Angeles . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Saxophone Drums Mallet Percussion
I know that music is about developing a vocabulary. Developing the ability to construct music without the need for a teacher is the direction I like to go in. A good teacher will only guide the student not dictate to them. Having an interest in many styles of music allows me the chance to be more open to teaching the beauty of writing a simple 3 chord progression or orchestrating for a full orchestra. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet
Hello! My name is Wes, and I am a multi-woodwind instrumentalist based out of Long Beach, CA. I attended California State University, Long Beach for my master's degree, and The Ohio State University for my bachelor's. Though I am mostly seen playing a saxophone, I am classically trained on clarinet, flute and even oboe! I play a wide variety of styles of music, from jazz to pop, and perform and record with big bands, small jazz groups, pit orchestras, and much more! Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute
I enjoy seeing my students grow and I understand that patience is the key to success. I move at the pace of the student and I love to motivate my students to be great. Everybody learns differently and I take notice of that. I will run my lessons based on the student's strength and effectively develop the students weaknesses. I am fun to work with! Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Clarinet
I am a musician, performer, and educator located in the Los Angeles area, in Pasadena. I recevied my MA in Music in 2013, concentraing in jazz. I wrote a MA thesis about current jazz music in Los Angeles. I am very passionate about teaching and have been teaching privately for 5 years. My main instrument is saxophone, but I also teach clarinet and piano up intil the intermediate level. I perform regularly with mulitple gourps, I compose for many instruments, and I teach at various music schools throught the Los Angeles area. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar
This type of jumping around is pretty routine even with students without special needs, so maintain a flexible but focused teaching style. It's a bit of a tightrope, but a walkable one. Adam, as many students are, was eager to show me his progress with scales first thing every week but as soon as the scale began to irk or ceased to interest him, we had to move off of it right away onto something that was joyful, so he stayed focused. Read More
Instruments: Piano Saxophone Flute Clarinet
I have been a working music teacher and professional musician since 2003. My work has taken me all over the world, from exotic, global itineraries on board 5-star cruise ships, to the some of the top music venues in New York City, as well as the homes and classrooms of many satisfied students. I graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, with a B.M. in Jazz Performance (saxophone). I also hold a Certificate of Eligibility in K-12 Music from the New Jersey Department of Education, as well as a Substitute Teaching Certificate (specializing in music) for Sussex County school districts in New Jersey. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Harp Accordion Harmonica Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Lute Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Euphonium French Horn Tuba Piccolo Mallet Percussion Orchestral Percussion Shakuhachi Oboe Bassoon English Horn Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
Derek is most known for his association with the John Daversa Big Band. Derek has had the pleasure of meeting and performing with many of his musical heroes. He has recorded live and studio albums with Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, John Fedchock, James Morrison, Greg Gisbert, Roger Ingram, Paul Stephens, Scott Englebright, Donny Dyess, the Tastee Bros, Bernard Wright, Gene Coye, Steve Reid, Kate Reid, Melvin Butler, Ed Calle, Richard Todd, Mike Brignola, Alex Norris, Dante Luciani, John Hart, Martin Bejerano, Chuck Bergeron, Rick Margitza, and appears on the Gary Lindsay album "Are We Still Dreaming" with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. Read More
Instruments: Saxophone Flute
If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
If I weren't a musician I would most likely be doing computer science. I love coding on computers as a hobby. However, that would never happen because I love being a musician. I want to have a free schedule, and I want to study and practice something that I know I'll love doing for my entire life. I don't want to be stuck in an office all day on a computer, or a cubicle working on things that I don't want to. I'd rather be homeless, working hard to make a buck off the street playing my beloved saxophone than to be stuck in an office for the rest of my life loathing my job. That is very much how far I would go to be a musician.
When will I start to see results?
Results begin to show right away! However, the one important thing that is crucial to the learning process of a child is to be consistent, and to practice as often as they can. Teaching a child information can be lost as easily as it can be retained. However, this can easily be avoided if a child remains practicing as much as they can. Parents can and should help their child as much as they can to also build discipline for the child to be consistent with practice. I will also help and guide students as much as possible!
Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Yes my mentor Quincy Cavers. He was the last student of Clark Terry a few years before he died. Quincy lived with Clark for a few years until the day of his death. Clark gave him lessons every day and he spent a lot of time learning from Clark. He was also in his movie Keep on Keepin' On. Quincy inspired me with the way that he played the saxophone and with all of his life lessons and the way he talked about Clark and what he showed him. He taught me a lot of things and prepared me the way Clark tried to prepare Quincy. He inspired me to want to teach other people and pass on the same information to the maybe next Clark Terry.
What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
I strongly believe having a planned schedule of when and what to practice will work very efficiently to help you improve and practice what you need. These practice sessions need to be planned throughout the entire day. If they are more than 2 hours of practice, make sure to take at least 10-15 minute breaks in between. Trying to practice mistakes and being extremely exhausted, tired or annoyed of what you're practicing won't help anyone. Distract yourself for a little while on your break to get your mind off of what you practiced. Don't worry, once you go back to it, you're brain is already refreshed and you'll play it better. I learned this from experience. Also, have early morning practices are great because you wake up well-rested, and your brain is reset for the day. This will definitely help you retain more information of what you practiced throughout the day.
How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
I believe that any child form the ages 5+ are already able enough to start lessons. Children's brains at that age begin to absorb a lot of information that gets retained the most. Especially in music a child at that age will be ready to start lessons and will actually drastically improve over a short amount of time (1-3 years) and will indefinitely become as well as they are taught and practice their instruments. Children are exactly like human sponges and will definitely be able to start at a young age and so on if they continue with their instrument.
What does a normal practice session look like for you?
A normal practice session for me is about 6-8 hours a day. However, I take 15 minute breaks in between every hour. I sit down, place a metronome, and I begin to practice my basic scales. Major, Dominant, Minor scales are what I begin with at 130bpm 16th notes to the highest and lowest range of my instrument. Then I start working on arpeggios, triads etc. Then I begin to work on more complicated scales like diminished, half-diminished, whole tone, bebop scales, etc. I also work on transcribing different players and their solos by ear with records and youtube recordings.
25 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Saxophone lessons in Los Angeles to students of all ages and abilities.
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