Trumpet Lessons in Nutley, NJ

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone

I like to tailor my approach to each student and the things they find inspiring about brass instruments. I will set goals and motivate my students in a way that works for their learning style. Lessons will always be engaging, challenging and fun. All students will begin with a foundation in the essential trumpet method books including the Arban, Clarke, Schlossberg and Chichowicz. From there we can explore specific areas of interest, with my specialties being upper register development, improvisation, jazz theory, transcription and solo pieces/concertos. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

In college, I started giving out lessons to Music Education friends who were learning trumpet for their brass profiency. I also gave some lessons to a friend who had no prior brass experience, and that experience was the main point in how I developed my beginner lessons. While rehearsing and practicing, I make sure to make exercises and the "maintenance" portion of trumpet interesting. Also, while in colle, for 3 years I worked as a Teacher's Assistant for a high school big band. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

For nearly all of my students, I start with Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet so that I can truly understand the students level of understanding of music and also get a grasp of their playing technique. From there, I will branch out to find something that suits both the students ability as well as their interests. Regardless of their ability, though, I always duet with my students to make them feel less pressure during lessons. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Euphonium Tuba

It is important that the student comes to their own realizations about playing using me as a guide, rather than being spoon-fed the information. Knowing how each student learns most efficiently is critical to success in a lesson, and I believe that each student should be taught using as multiple instructional methods as well, including sound, sight, and feel. By learning early on why the student chose their instrument and what they hope to get out of it, I can easily find a path to success that is both efficient and exciting. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

While I stand by a need for fundamental work, it is also very important to understand what the student wants to learn. Upon the first meeting, I typically like to ask the student to show me what their warm-up routine is, and what they are currently working on. This gives me a good groundwork to customize lesson plans for each student. I will then ask them what skills they would like most to improve upon, as well as any new skills they would like to learn. Read More

Instruments: Trumpet

My teaching style is relaxed, encouraging, informal, and fun. I find that young people tend to pay the most attention when the person relaying the info has more of a big brother/sister relationship with the student, rather than a more rigid authoritarian approach. If they think of me as just another adult trying to make them do things they don't think are fun, then music will never be fun. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet

Here are the things that I want to impart to my piano students in their first 10 weeks of lessons: That I love music and I love teaching them That music lessons are creative and exploratory That creating music is fun and easy That music can tell stories That music is more than pushing down keys That music is art and involves dynamics, speed, feeling, etc. That singing and moving to music is just a part of how we do things in music education That playing the piano the right way (ie. with the right technique) is really important The importance of understanding, feeling and moving to meter (duple/triple) The concept of home, tonic/dominant tonalities and being able to hear and create bass lines That music is made up of chords, patterns, and melodies That they can transpose music into different keys I use Alfred Piano Method, it also dives into intervallic reading, as described above. Read More