Musician • Educator • Web Designer
Private Teaching Studio
- Purpose & Curriculum
- I view Jazz Improvisation as akin to learning a language. Jazz has an alphabet of chords and scales, a vocabulary of licks and melodies, traditional forms through the jazz standards, and a body of literary classics through the amazing recordings of a century of jazz musicians.
- The purpose of my studio is to teach this language of Jazz. I know that I'm waxing a bit poetic, but then, we are discussing an art here, and it's the dedication to this art that as been endlessly fulfilling for me, and often more than a little frustrating. My goal as a private instructor is to convey all of the philosophies, theories, conceptual ideas, and aesthetic ideals I prescribe to while trying to ease the difficulties that confront any serious student of the art.
- Materials
- I teach primarily out of the Inside Improvisation Series, written by Jerry Bergonzi. His Volume 6: Developing a Jazz Language is my standard teaching method.
- Some suggested texts for beginning improvisors:
- Inside Improvisation v.6: Developing a Jazz Language - Jerry Bergonzi
- Patterns for Jazz - Jerry Coker
- Four & More - Jamey Aebersold
- Autumn Leaves - Jamey Aebersold
- The Jazz Theory Book - Mark Levine
- How to Improvise - Hal Crook
- The Goal-Note Method - Shelly Berg
- Suggested texts for advancing improvisors:
- Inside Improvisation v.2: Pentatonics - Jerry Bergonzi
- Inside Improvisation v.3: The Jazz Line (bebop scales) - Jerry Bergonzi
- Inside Improvisation v.4: Melodic Rhythms (a must have!) - Jerry Bergonzi
- Inside Improvisation v.7: Hexatonics (triad pairs) - Jerry Bergonzi
- A Chromatic Approach to Harmony & Melody - David Leibman
- Metaphors for the Musician - Randy Halberstadt
- Policies & Expectations
- Students are expected to practice 1 hour per day, 6 days a week. Of course, they are always encouraged to practice more. Nothing beats time on the horn.
- Students who want to take lessons for college credit may choose to register through GCC. Contact me first to make sure there's room in my studio and for course "permission" numbers.
- 24 hour notice is required for non-emergency cancellations. Lesson fees will be collected for any cancellation less than 24 hours before the lesson start time.
- Illness and emergencies are handled on a case-by-case basis.
- Rates
- $50 per hour session.
- $30 per 1/2 hour session.
- Students in my studio currently pay on a weekly basis.