Jonathan D
Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet
Styles: Jazz, Blues, Funk, Swing, Marching Band
Jonathan D
Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet
Styles:
Jazz, Blues, Funk, Swing, Marching Band
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
BM, Indiana Wesleyan University, Saxophone Performance (completed 2017)
MM, Northern Illinois University, Jazz Studies (completed 2019)
2013-Indiana All-State Jazz Band (lead tenor)
2016-Featured soloist with the Indiana Wesleyan Wind Ensemble
2016-Performed in the International Blues Challenge on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee
2018-Featured soloist with the Mississinewa Valley Band, Indiana (Classical and Jazz Performance)
2018-Featured soloist with the Kable Community Band, Illinois (Classical and Jazz Performance)
2019-Tenor Saxophonist for Kings Island shows, Cincinnati, Ohio
Hello! My name is Jonathan and I am so excited to begin working with you. In the spring of 2017, I was honored to graduate from Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor's of music in saxophone performance. While attending IWU, I had many playing opportunities within the school and abroad. In the spring of 2016, I was privileged enough to be featured with the Indiana Wesleyan Wind Ensemble as an alto saxophone soloist. During this time, the group went on tour around the midwest and I was able to solo with the group while on that trip. In addition to my on-campus endeavors, I was also a sought-after saxophonist in central Indiana. I was able to play in combos, big bands, and blues bands professionally while working on my studies. Through these experiences, I have been able to travel to Memphis, TN, Baltimore, Maryland, and Nashville, TN, just to name a few. I have now begun my graduate studies at Northern Illinois University and am looking forward to what the future holds here! I look forward to sharing music together!
My teaching experience started while I was in high school. By my senior year, my band director gave me opportunities to lead the band by directing and running sectionals. During this time, I also worked with students one on one as needed. As I went on to college, the same trends followed. My undergraduate school was smaller than most and I was able to step in as a role model almost immediately. Through those years, I made sure to always keep my door open to anyone who was seeking advice about music. While in my undergrad, I also had summers of teaching marching band and being a camp counselor. These experiences equipped me to not only educate kids musically but to mentor them as a role model in life. I have always taken advantage of an opportunity to learn and I feel as though I am able to instill that into my students when I work with them.
for the beginner student, we will start off by going through things such as scales, arpeggios, and exercises to build a solid foundation. While doing this, I will have the student pick a song they like, whether it be pop, country, jazz, classical, and begin to learn it by ear to begin to develop solid aural recognition. Once the fundamentals are solid, we will move on to either working on a sonata or concerto or a transcription and a tune (depending on if you are a jazz student or classical). If you would like to do both, then we will work through both together!
My number one rule when teaching students about music is to HAVE FUN. Music is meant to be fun and bring joy to people. While in lessons, we will learn about scales and arpeggios and work through exercises. And, believe it or not, I have got some ways to make those fun! Depending on if you want to study classical music or jazz, we might study a sonata or transcribe a solo. If you would like to do both then, by all means, we will! These lessons are about the student. I want to communicate what you would like to get out of playing and, after solidifying fundamentals, we will pursue that end goal together as a team!
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