John O  
Instruments: Piano, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Musical Theater, Latin, Funk, Showtunes, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Marching Band

I've worked in many different fields around music education, enabling me to have a broad range of experiences and an ability to adapt to any situation. As a music instructor, I've taught 1-on-1 private lessons, and I've also worked at several summer camps including the Florida State University Jazz Camp, where I was the musical assistant to professor Bill Kennedy, and at Long Lake Camp For The Arts, where I served as the head of the music department. In addition, I am a part of the Manhattan School of Music’s Outreach Program where I teach saxophone masterclasses at the WHEELS public school in Washington Heights. I enjoy playing, teaching and working with musicians and performers of all sorts, and I thrive off new musical situations.

Saxophone:

Beginner – If you’re just starting out in band or want to get the basics down better, our lessons will focus on the very basics. This includes hand placement, embouchure, breath support, posture, learning to read music, basic music theory, some major scales and other fundamental exercises.

Intermediate – For the student who has a few years under their belt and wants to take their playing to the next level. These lessons will be centered around tone, intonation, articulation, knowing all major and minor scales, more advanced theory, reading intermediate level saxophone literature, and some more advanced technical exercises to increase fluency on the saxophone.

Advanced – For high school students who want to hone their skills, and possibly study music at the collegiate level. During our lessons we will work on performing upper level saxophone literature, learning jazz standards, improvisation, advanced music theory (including jazz theory), and complex technical exercises in all 12 keys.

Clarinet:

Beginner – Students who want to pick up clarinet will be taught the fundamentals of the instrument. This includes embouchure, fingerings, wind support, reading music, and basic scales and basic music theory.

Intermediate – For anyone looking to further develop their skills as a clarinetist, we will focus on intermediate clarinet etudes, learning major and minor scales, solidifying tone and intonation, and learning some music theory concepts.

Flute:

Beginner – For the student who wants to begin learning flute, we will practice correct fingerings and hand position, breathing techniques, air support, reading beginning level music, and the fundamentals of music theory.

Intermediate – If you play a little flute but want to improve your skills, our lessons will include learning moderately challenging flute etudes, learning major and minor scales/arpeggios, tuning, tone, and some more advanced music theory concepts.

Piano:

Beginner: If you're new to piano we'll cover all the basics. Learning the notes on the keyboard, how to read written music, basic chord construction, and playing scales and other simple melodies with one hand and eventually onto two hand playing.

Intermediate: If you are looking to build on some basics, or coming back to the instrument after some time off, we'll re-establish some fundamentals and progress onto more advanced scales like melodic and harmonic minor. We can also discuss theory more in depth and learn chords that extend past basic triadic shapes (7th chords, 9th chords, etc). This all will be applied to musical contexts as per the student's tastes and preferences.