Elijah H
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles: Jazz, Blues, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing
Elijah H
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles:
Jazz, Blues, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
I started playing music and specifically the saxophone in the fourth grade. I played all throughout middle school and high school. Outside of school, I took classes at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and was a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra. I started playing the bass guitar my junior year in high school. I always used to hear music in the house growing up but I first became interested in music when I was around the age of five and heard Take Five by Paul Desmond playing on the radio in the car. I liked Paul's smooth sound and became interested in jazz. From that point onward, I wanted to hear more about this thing called "jazz." The first jazz album I ever owned was "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis. I started to listen to the likes of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins. Listening to these greats, I started to realize what I wanted to be in my life. What I liked about their music was not only their obvious talent, but their ability to excite and calm their listeners in a span of one song. Music allows me to say things that span further than words can cover. It’s an outlet for my thoughts. Whenever I am in a bad mood, playing and listening to jazz always brings me comfort. My goal is to spread my musical knowledge through teaching.
My teaching experience dates back to when I was in high school 7 years ago.Through community service I started teaching young children about music, jazz and the saxophone. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. Along with the saxophone I try to teach my students at least a basic understanding of the piano because it is the foundation of most if not all of music.
For younger students that are beginners I try to get a better understanding of their skillset by giving them and listening to to them play a simple etude. This will give me a better idea of what I think we should work on most like embouchure or breath control. Once I feel like they have a good understanding of the fundamentals of the instrument I try to give them pieces that focus more on the the technicality of the saxophone. For older students and adults I try to let them lead the lesson more by letting them sometimes pick and choose the pieces they would like to learn to keep them interested and engaged.
I feel a sense of accomplishment when I see one of my students gain an appreciation and passion for music. Because of this I think it is important that every student advances at their own speed. I encourage this by setting reachable goals for my students each lesson. My students realizing their accomplishments helps ignite their want to progress and their willingness to learn more. By trying to figure out what inspires my student, I can successfully design my instruction to their wants and needs.
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