Trumpet with James B.

James B. was born and raised in the Baltimore County area and has been studying the trumpet since he was ten years old. In middle and high school he performed several times with the Baltimore County Honors Band and Orchestra. After high school James attended Towson University where he studied classical performance with Rene Hernandez and jazz performance with Dave Ballou. In the Fall of 2012 he received his bachelors degree in Jazz Performance. Currently he is begun teaching lessons as well as performing with live groups throughout the Baltimore county/city area. Structured lessons are designed to develop technical skills as well as musicality in young musicians. This is achieved through practicing exercises, scales, and etudes in addition to solo repertoire and jazz standards. James believes that every person has a deep understanding of music even though many have different ways of interpreting it. It is his mission to find the method of instruction that is tailored to his students learning style and understanding of music to enable proficient communication. *** Lesson Details *** Teaching Philosophy Statement Teaching music is a task for the highly flexible individual. A teacher should be knowledgeable, experienced, skilled in performance and above all, motivating. An instructor should be able to prepare students for many diverse musical situations, strengthen and develop skills and keep the student excited about the music. Private lessons should always cover the basics such as technique, musicality and tone quality. Basic technical skills are an essential element to any lesson. Whether the student is only first establishing these skills, or seeking further development, I incorporate many finger exercises, scales and etudes in the teaching of technique. I find it necessary to go over with a student (especially a beginning student) how to practice the material on their own. Most students are not taught how to practice, which is the only way to improve. Teaching a student how to work through difficult rhythms is never overlooked. By demonstrating ways to count out rhythms, clap beats and how to write in the counts, students will have a better understanding of how to approach rhythm. Teaching musicality is another important element in lessons. Students should have knowledge of dynamics, phrase structures and musical styles. In order to teach this, I have my students play a wide variety of solos from all style periods. I also encourage them to listen to the piece and often give them recordings and mini listening assignments. Expression is perhaps the hardest area to instruct upon. I find the development of an individual voice essential for their success as a musician. It is necessary to emphasize the emotional and creative aspects of the music by encouraging the students to think of visualizations, stories or emotions while playing. Motivating the students is another challenge. The student needs to be excited about the music and love to play. I encourage students to choose solos and pieces that they are interested in. Lastly, the student needs to feel like you are enjoying the lesson as well. It has been my experience that if the teacher is excited, the student will be too. *** Studio Equipment *** Logitech Webcam Dedicated audio feed Music Stands Metronome Video and audio recording *** Travel Equipment *** Audio Recorder Music Stand Metronome Exercise books Concert Solos Etudes Transcribed Solos *** Specialties *** I specialize in both Jazz and Classical Trumpet performance and education.