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Bachelor Degree: USF
2018 USF Jazztet/Bone Band Colombia Tour
2019 USF Jazztet/Bone Band France Tour
2023 ITF Jazz Ensemble Competition Runner Ups
2017-2021 Bachelor Of Music (Jazz Studies)
I am a professional jazz musician and composer in the Tampa Bay Area, playing gigs whenever I can, subbing in for USF, writing music for marching bands and other jazz groups, and more! I also teach lessons over at Northside Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida. I teach there twice a week, and I have overall 12 students that I teach private individual lessons, mostly trombone, but also euphonium, tuba, and also trumpet as well. I have also helped out with marching bands over the years, whether that is my old high school or another high school in the area. I would love to get more students to teach because I find it a great learning experience and more opportunity to help kids in the area with all different styles of music. Thank you!
I have been teaching private lessons at Northside Christian School for almost 2 full years at this point, and have been helping out during marching band season every year since 2017. During the first part of 2021, I have also substituted for jazz instructor during the school year of Tarpon Springs High School, and while there I have taught more students on jazz improvisation as well as fundamentals on the trombone. I also occasionally come in to my old high school to work with the jazz ensemble, combo, or even just specific sections of the band. It’s something that I love doing because I have a great time with the students as well as seeing them grow!
My methods definitely vary depending on the level and experience of the student. However, the fundamental exercises and order of warming up is very similar throughout the different levels of experience. It would start with long tones, then we would move on to lip slurs, then scale exercises and after that we would love on to music and etudes. For beginners I would work on embouchure technique and figure out what works best for them, and at the same time is also efficient in improving. I would also bring in different levels of books and studies for their specific level and instrument that they play. Air flow is a factor through all experiences since it helps with sound and tone so much. For upper levels we would work on specific music that they are working on as well as experiment with different techniques. Overall, my goal is for my lessons to be fun, informative, and engaging.
In my opinion, my goal for the student is to be motivated, and stay motivated to try to also work at their instrument outside their lessons on their own. I would not want to cram information down their throats, but I also would not want to spend too much time on tasks that would get the student or myself carried away. The process of slowing things down and working them in chunks is, in my opinion, very efficient because the retention sets in really well and it also helps the student get in the habit of how to practice properly, and this goes for any level of student.