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Corwin Award 2011 - 1st place vocal piece
Corwin Award 2011 - 3rd place orchestral composition
I love music in all its forms and wish to impart what I have learned in my years as a musician to the next generation of music students. I graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in music composition from UCSB and have since written works for various media including tv and video games. Along with playing the bass trombone with the Pasadena Community Symphony, I also performed as a DJ in and around Los Angeles. These experiences motivate me as an instructor and allow me to impart a wide range of experiences for my students to learn from. Currently I have 4 years of teaching elementary and intermediate brass privately, with one year in the classroom. I currently teach all my lessons online over Zoom.
I have over 20 years of experience playing brass and 17 years as a Bass Trombonist. I studied under Mexican Symphony Orchestra trombonist David Quintinar and have played with the Solano Symphony Orchestra, Benicia Ballet, Sacramento Youth Symphony, Pasadena Community Symphony, and countless smaller rock and jazz groups. With a BA in Music Composition from UCSB and a decade of composing and performing experience in Los Angeles, I continue my teaching journey with Musika Lessons and am excited to introduce new students to the power of brass!
For years 1 & 2, we will go through the "red" and "blue" books (Standard of Excellence) together, in order to formulate the right habits with embouchure, breathing, posture, and learning to read and play the correct notes. Once some headway has been made, we can begin "Arban's" for technical studies, Bai Lin's "Lip Flexibilities" for advance warm up and excersies, and Rochut's "Melodious Etudes" for solo material. Various orchestral excerpts, band pieces from school, and supplemental study material will be included as needed.
My teaching philosophy is to always continue moving forward. Let's stay focused and do the best we can, but never dwell on one thing for too long! Success comes from a variety of avenues, notably discipline (scheduling your time) and passion (enjoying the process of learning!). Learning and performing music is inherently difficult, but I am here to help guide you so that the process is fun and manageable! As Bruce Lee once said, "It takes a lifetime to know one's self", so let's work hard to discover what we are capable of and enjoy the journey!