My Teaching Philosophy
Every musician has different strengths and weaknesses, and my job as a teacher is to not simply hand out information, but to guide you to make the most of yourself and your talents. We will assess your musical goals and then formulate a plan of action to achieve them through incremental development. Achieving your potential is learning how to maximize your strengths while minimizing your weaknesses; this is a key factor that separates the "masters" from others. We'll take a comprehensive look at your practice and performance routine and discuss skills and approaches you can use in any discipline as well as exploring topics deeply.
Sample topics often covered:
Though I am known primarily as a "jazz performer", I also integrate world music (Balkan, klezmer, etc), classical performance, and compositional analysis (counterpoint, Schenkerian analysis, etc) into our lessons, when suitable.
Private lessons are offered from my home studio near New York City as well as through Skype/Zoom
Sample topics often covered:
- Instrument technique
- Time, groove, and feel
- Bassline construction
- Melodic phrasing and soloing
- Music theory and harmony
- Repertoire and memorization techniques
- Sight reading and rhythmic skills
- Counterpoint and composition
- Styles and history
- Ear training
Though I am known primarily as a "jazz performer", I also integrate world music (Balkan, klezmer, etc), classical performance, and compositional analysis (counterpoint, Schenkerian analysis, etc) into our lessons, when suitable.
Private lessons are offered from my home studio near New York City as well as through Skype/Zoom
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Transcriptions
a note on transcriptions: a transcription is not a sufficient substitute for listening to the recording; as phrasing and timing varies widely from player to player, sometimes I approximate complex rhythmic phrasing. And no transcription is truly complete without the accompaniment, as any good soloist relies on harmonic and rhythmic interaction with the rest of the band. I always view a written transcription as a supplement to deep listening, not a guide on "how to solo"; personally, I use transcriptions for theoretical study and as an eartraining exercise/tool. By examining an artist's musical language, we can gain greater insight into how to develop our own.
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