Nathan P
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Latin, Funk, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band
Nathan P
Instruments: Saxophone
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Latin, Funk, Electronic, Flamenco, Salsa, Showtunes, Reggae, Merengue, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band
Where I Teach:
In Your Home
My Studio
Online
Ages Taught: 5-80
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
MS, Northeastern University, Project Management BS, Northeastern University, Management
Awards:
- 1999 - Judges' Choice Award, Berklee College of Music
- 2000 - Louie Armstrong Jazz Award
Overview:
Laughing and learning should be a required pairing, as it's a marriage that I believe makes the entire process enjoyable and effective. I enjoy teaching, mentoring, and providing a channel for students of ages to learn music. The saxophone is a great tool to share musical ideas with others, but the overall big picture is music, in general. While not my full-time job, my first love is music, and what better way exists to experience it first hand than to help others in their musical journey through lessons? I thoroughly enjoy the entire teaching experience, creating music, and listening to others with their own ideas. When I'm not teaching the sax, I'm playing the sax, and hope to inspire such passion in others.
EXPERIENCE
I began teaching saxophone to students in the late 90s – while in high school. What started as a hobby, to simply increase my playing time and net some extra gas money, soon turned into a passion for mentorship and musical guidance. My philosophy is that each student has a unique definition of success, and I leverage this fact when designing lesson plans. Some students want to dive into jazz at a theoretical capacity, while others are looking to refine their classical intonation, to better blend with an orchestra of other instruments. The teaching methodology I employ is unique for every student, and while the fundamentals of learning the saxophone remain the same, the milestones throughout the journey are curtailed to enhance this unique experience.
METHODS USED
A major aspect of teaching that I employ is demonstration, or displaying the practice. During the lesson, I'll have my saxophone ready to play, and I use it throughout to demonstrate technique, as a foundation for the student to begin. It is important that students have a solid understand of the material I am trying to convey. To this end, I believe the best approach is to use the EDEP principal (a system that I, personally, developed). Explain, Demonstrate, Employ, and Practice - a repeatable process that focuses on refinement of beginner to advanced techniques, and allows for measurable progress through a simple system of internal benchmarking. Sheet music versus playing by ear. Sometimes it's important to close the lesson plan and simply play - using nothing more than what is heard and reacting to that sound is sometime the most beneficial approach, and I am sensitive to that need, and employ it where appropriate. After all, music happens with or without a sheet of paper - it's all in what we hear!
LESSON STYLE
"Get comfortable with being uncomfortable." One of my favorite sayings, and something I often repeat to my students. While play-alongs are great fun, and simple scale practices take little effort, they don't inspire growth. By always placing the proverbial bar just out reach, I motivate students to continue progressing, learning something new, then moving on to build upon that foundation. My lessons are fun, informative, and progress is measurable and appropriate for the student's level of experience. I use custom arpeggios, scale-based exercises, theory, play-alongs, and improvisation (among other approaches) to make each lesson an inspired experience.
An example of a lesson for an advancing student might look something like the following: 1) Arrive, assemble instrument, and warm-up. This may be through the use of a backing track for simple improvisation, where the student and I spend about five minutes trading a few measures of improv, to get in the spirit of playing, and warm the horns. 2) Review last week's lesson, the progress throughout the week, and answer any questions before moving forward. 3) Dive into the lesson material, building from the topics of the previous week. 4) Play through the material, explaining throughout, demonstrating, as needed, and stepping back to allow the student to begin moving through the material. 5) Design the approach for the next week of practicing, indicate areas for review on the student's folder, pack-up. Lesson complete.
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
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