Sam B  
Instruments: Piano, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Keyboard
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul, Marching Band, Avant-garde

I began teaching in high school, where I taught lessons to the younger students as well as instructed my jazz band in improvisation lessons. I enjoyed problem solving with my students and figuring out the appropriate exercise or explanation to help them get over a particular hurdle. In college I taught at a music school, where I branched out from teaching saxophone to clarinet, flute, and piano as well. I also gained a lot of experience with very young students at this school. I currently teach a mix of young and adult students on all four instruments.

While my lessons are catered to each individual student, each follows a general curriculum that I have developed over the years through teaching. Method books are a great structured way to quickly get confident on an instrument, however they don't often encourage listening skills or creativity. This is why I structure my lessons around particular method books like Rubank or Faber while providing additional pieces, exercises, and improvising to supplement the book. I also structure the pace of my lessons to the age of the student. I try to let older students figure more out on their own, giving them the support needed to make those discoveries. Younger students often require a bit more guidance, so I give them this as needed.