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2017- Saturday Club Scholarship Winner
2018- CSUS Concerto Competition Winner
Hello! My name is Madison A. I am a woodwind instructor based in the Sacramento/Stockton area. I am a private instructor and professional musician who loves performing and sharing my intense passion for playing with my students and with my audiences. This upcoming semester (Spring 2022) I will be graduating with a Bachelor in Clarinet Performance from Sacramento State University! In addition to studying clarinet, I am a professional flutist and saxophonist and have been performing in Northern California over the past 5 years. I am grateful to have so many wonderful performance opportunities, such as performing as a pit musician at the Berkeley Playhouse in Berkeley, CA, as well as performing with Opera Modesto.
My teaching career began at age 18. I started with only two students, and have since grown to teaching at three studios with 23 students across all studios. My main focus with all of my students is to expose them to all that music can offer them. Not only is music scientifically proven to improve brain function (it literally makes you smarter), it also promotes important qualities in young students; being an instrumentalist helps you learn responsibility (taking care of an instrument), discipline (daily practice), and perseverance (continuing to play despite mistakes). In addition to focusing on these aspects, I emphasize the importance of consistent practice, as well as listening to as much music as possible and playing in different musical situations as often as possible.
I incorporate method books into all of my lessons, as well as any technique books that are appropriate for each specific student. The method books that I begin with are Essential Elements, the I Recommend series, Standard of Excellence, and Tradition of Excellence. The technique books depend on the specific instrument and ability level. I feel that it is very important to get every student playing actual sheet music as soon as possible, regardless of skill level. Only teaching out of method books can become very boring very fast.
I do my best to foster a warm and safe environment with all of my students. In all of my first lessons, I establish rules that explain that we must treat our lesson space, our instruments, and each other with respect. I cater each lesson to each student; every person is different, therefore every lesson must be different. During each lesson, we set realistic yet challenging goals for the next upcoming lessons. I do my best to find the "Goldilocks Zone" for each student; I make sure to assign exercises that aren't too easy, but not impossible. One of the newest sayings that I have adopted into my studio is "Nothing is difficult, it is just new". There is nothing in music (or life) that is too difficult; it is just new. You just need to take the time to figure out how to do it. Knowing this, there is nothing that you can't do.