Masaki K
Instruments: Trombone
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Latin Jazz, Marching Band
Masaki K
Instruments: Trombone
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Latin Jazz, Marching Band
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
BM,University of Colorado, Jazz Studies Trombone, High Honors
2015,2016- Telluride All Star 2016-Selected for IASJ conference 2013-CU-Boulder Music Scholarship
I'm an educator and performer born and raised in the Boulder area. I graduated with High Honors from CU-Boulder in Jazz Performance, though I love playing all styles from Pop to Classical to Avant-Garde and Electroacoustic music. I've had opportunities to perform at the Telluride Jazz Festival, Dazzle, Nocturne, the Mercury Cafe, Berklee College of Music and numerous other jazz clubs and halls. I'm also a passionate educator, and I've taught lessons to all age groups and levels, including masterclasses all over the world.
My parents are both teachers so I come from a background of educators. I have been teaching for the last 3 years as I was completing my degree at CU Boulder. Even though I am a jazz trombonist, I focus on finding music that students like, not that I personally want to play. I also highly recommend students to write their own music and play it back on trombone as a way to actualize the songs that are playing throughout their lives. I love tailoring each lesson from week to week based on the student's needs and interests.
For beginning students I teach the fundamentals: holding the instrument, explaining how it works, and then how to make a sound. I focus on sound first and foremost, trying to make a pure sound, and then hearing and being able to understand how the instrument works. I don't get into simply reading exercises until the student has a firm grasp and enthusiasm for the instrument. With older students I work with what their goals are; for example if All-State Band is the goal we focus on playing band excerpts and the level of fundamentals needed to get there.
I always teach with patience, respect and positivity. I tailor each lesson to the needs of the student by asking them their goals and strategies on how to teach. I always play alongside the student, and I am always positive even when making suggestions on ways to help. Too many times I have experienced teachers that only tell students what is wrong with their playing and that they will never be good unless they do certain techniques. For me, the lessons are more about the journey than the destination: the process of getting better should be fun and when students improve they should feel good about themselves, not worried about the teacher's approval.
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