Private Instruction: Saxophone
I have taught hundreds of students in private saxophone lessons over the past 30 years. My approach to saxophone instruction is individualized--I design a curriculum for each student depending on his/her age, goals, experience, musical strengths and weaknesses. My main areas of emphasis are:
Many of my students from the 1990's and early 2000's, prior to my move to New York, were the most successful young saxophonists of their generation, winners of solo competitions at jazz festivals (Lionel Hampton, Reno, Monterey, Essentially Ellington); several have gone on to prestigious conservatories (Berklee, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Juilliard, New School, Thornton, NYU), and subsequently developed professional careers in New York and around the world. These included Chris Johansen, Roxy Coss, Ben Roseth, Dylan Heaney, Mike Young, Johnny Butler, Rose Rutledge, Andrew Mulherker, and Rob Hanlon.
- Tone production. The goal is to develop a rich, warm, personal sound. Part of this study is physical: adopting a practice routine that improves the student's air flow and embouchure. But a big part is also mental: helping the student refine the tonal concept so that s/he has a clear, precise imaginative sonic image of the saxophone sound s/he is aiming for.
- Saxophone technique. I have an extensive library of scale and chord exercises from which I choose ones that are appropriate to the level and motivation of the student. One goal for nearly everyone is to develop a reasonable level of fluency in all 12 major and minor keys.
- Reading. Most of my students are in bands that require good reading skills. My approach is to focus the student's attention on accurate interpretation of rhythmic figures. Lessons generally include sight-reading practice.
- Phrasing. All saxophonists strive to deliver melodies in a coherent and satisfying way. I work with my students to develop a graceful sense of melody so that what they play is not simply a correct succession of notes but rather a real song. Here again I make use of my extensive library of etudes and duets that cover a wide range of musical styles including: jazz, blues, Latin, Broadway, classical, funk, pop, rock.
Many of my students from the 1990's and early 2000's, prior to my move to New York, were the most successful young saxophonists of their generation, winners of solo competitions at jazz festivals (Lionel Hampton, Reno, Monterey, Essentially Ellington); several have gone on to prestigious conservatories (Berklee, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Juilliard, New School, Thornton, NYU), and subsequently developed professional careers in New York and around the world. These included Chris Johansen, Roxy Coss, Ben Roseth, Dylan Heaney, Mike Young, Johnny Butler, Rose Rutledge, Andrew Mulherker, and Rob Hanlon.
Private Instruction: Improvisation
I have been involved with teaching improvisation for 35 years, and have developed a method that is innovative and unique. My method combines elements of the approach employed by Barry Harris (with whom I studied in 1980-81) with concepts about the structure of language (gleaned from my studies in Linguistics starting in the early 1970's). The method is not instrument-specific: in addition to many saxophonists I have had successful improvisation students who are brass players (Tatum Greenblatt, Jumaane Smith, Peter Kenagy, Jake Bergevin), guitarists (Camila Meza, Rob Silver), pianists (Carolyn Graye), singers (Brianna Thomas, Camila Meza), even violinists (Ernesto Llorens, Chip Curry).
As with my saxophone method, my approach to teaching improvisation is individualized to meet the abilities, goals, and needs of each student. Some students will benefit more than others from detailed study of harmony, which is really the grammar of the jazz language; some need more help than others developing a flexible vocabulary; some need more work on the idiomatic delivery of their ideas; for others, the issues are more architectural--at the narrative level rather than the sentence level. In all cases we are striving to become more fluent, more eloquent, more musically compelling improvisers. I believe my deep, decades-long study of Linguistics has given me some powerful and appropriate tools for helping serious students of jazz improvisation.
As with my saxophone method, my approach to teaching improvisation is individualized to meet the abilities, goals, and needs of each student. Some students will benefit more than others from detailed study of harmony, which is really the grammar of the jazz language; some need more help than others developing a flexible vocabulary; some need more work on the idiomatic delivery of their ideas; for others, the issues are more architectural--at the narrative level rather than the sentence level. In all cases we are striving to become more fluent, more eloquent, more musically compelling improvisers. I believe my deep, decades-long study of Linguistics has given me some powerful and appropriate tools for helping serious students of jazz improvisation.