Michael A. G  
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Latin, Funk, Electronic, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Avant-garde

My teaching experiences have come from my time spent playing in a variety of ensembles in the different colleges that I attended. I was often asked to lead groups in rehearsal and this was where my teaching experiences first began. It started with my colleges Big Band and then with a Saxophone Quartet. Being able to lead a group of musicians and helping them get better everyday was the most fulfilling feeling I got during my time in school and pushed me to try my hand at teaching younger students. My main goal is to hopefully motivate and cultivate a bond between the student and their instrument but most important to have fun while doing it.

For my beginner saxophone students we will start by assembling the instrument and using the Hal Leonard's Essential Elements to learn the basic fingerings and songs. As for my beginner piano students we will start off with the Faber Piano Adventures book and work our way through the lessons. Once the student becomes more comfortable with their instruments we will start introducing appropriate solo repertoire and find songs that the individual student would enjoy learning. I want to try and make the entire lesson enjoyable while also working on the fundamentals to help them become a better musician. I encourage my students to find artists or songs that they like so we can talk about what exactly they are hearing and maybe even try to play the music by ear.