Alec A
Instruments: Piano, Trumpet, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Salsa, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Alec A
Instruments: Piano, Trumpet, Keyboard
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Hip Hop, Salsa, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
BM, University of Miami, Jazz and Studio Music Instrumental - Trumpet MM, Manhattan School of Music, Jazz Performance - Trumpet
2015 - National Trumpet Competition, Jazz Division, 2nd Place 2018 - Excellence in Outreach and Education Award, Manhattan School of Music 2015 - Downbeat Award for best Undergraduate Jazz Combo - Sound Underground Trio 2015 - Downbeat Award for best Blue/Rock/Pop Combo - University of Miami Funk/Fusion Ensemble 2016-18 - Manhattan School of Music Scholarship
I am a musician, composer, arranger, and educator originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin. I attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami from 2012-2016 and obtained a bachelor's degree in Studio Music and Jazz Instrumental on trumpet. I moved to New York and received a masters degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in 2018. I have been fortunate to be able to tour and travel to Eastern Europe, Mexico, Canada, and all over the US playing music. I have played in numerous international jazz festivals with the chamber-jazz trio Sound Underground and have been a featured performer at the Kennedy Center.
My teaching experience started when I was a college student and was able to intern at several jazz camps in the Midwest, substitute teaching for the main instructors. Through the University of Miami, I was selected to travel to the Jalisco Jazz festival in Guadalajara, Mexico and perform and teach at their camp. I was in charge of leading ensembles as well as teaching masterclasses to the brass players at the camp. I then started my own studio while working towards my masters degree in New York. I teach at the Larchmont Music Academy, and was very involved with the outreach program at Manhattan School of Music. Through this program, I was able to teach in a variety of different subprograms - giving lectures about the history of jazz music to elderly people as well as teaching at numerous public middle schools' after-school music programs.
For young, beginning students, I use the Standard of Excellence series of 3 books. Once a student has progressed through these books, I will normally progress to the book "Forty Progressive Etudes for Trumpet" as they get to an intermediate level and can handle starting to tackle longer and more difficult pieces. After this comes the Arbans book and other technical trumpet books such as Schlossberg and the H.L. Clarke studies books. If the student is interested in jazz, I typically use Jim Snidero's "Jazz Conception" books as a great starting place to learn about interpreting jazz music as well as a basis for starting to talk about improvisation. Continuing from there, jazz students will start to learn jazz "standards" from the Great American Songbook and discussions of improvisation will go deeper. With all students, it is important to discover what they are interested in and encourage that interest. If a student is interesting in learning something in particular, I will work with them to find music or if need be, write it out to encourage the development of their passion.
The most important and rewarding thing for me to see is a student's passion for music encouraged. While trumpet technique and routine will be heavily emphasized for all students, it is important to realize what the student is most interested and excited about learning about. I have been fortunate enough to have great teachers throughout my life who saw my passion in particular areas of music and encouraged it. I would most likely not be a musician if that was not the case, and so I look to push my students towards their passions. I like to set realistic goals at the end of each lesson so that my students have something to work towards for the next week. It is very important for me to acknowledge when a student has made progress which helps them realize that their hard work is paying off.
Check out our A+
Rating from the Better Business Bureau
100% Risk-Free Trial Lesson
If you are not satisfied after your trial lesson, you will not be charged and we can match you with another teacher.