Trumpet with Zack H.

I've been playing trumpet for just about 15 years. I studied trumpet at a college level at Lindenwood University, and have held top positions in the university's music ensembles, in spite of not being a music major. I will be graduating with my degree in Chemistry in 2013. Outside of college, I play professionally with several groups, and sub in other ensembles whenever I can. I have the most fun playing trumpet when I get to play higher and louder, so I specialize in jazz lead playing, and I rather enjoy the cover band gigs that keep me above the staff for hours at a time. I have had the chance to study with a number of excellent world-class musicians, and I try to take the lessons I have learned from them and apply them towards helping my students. I'm trying to avoid name-dropping, but if you sign up for lessons, I promise to tell you all about it! Also, I'm now doing online lessons too! *** Lesson Details *** General Teaching Philosophy: My job as a teacher is to provide the correct direction and criticisms to help my students succeed. I tailor lessons and material to the specific needs and challenges of every student. If I have done my job correctly, than the only limitation is the ambition of the student. How much effort the student puts into their instrument determines how much they will get out of it. To this end, my teaching philosophy is to first focus on getting students to play with a good sound before focusing on building range or technical ability. If a student doesn't like the sound they make when they play, then they won't enjoy playing, and won't be motivated to practice. A student who enjoys the sound they have will be motivated to practice more. I am not a strict teacher; I understand that sometimes life gets in the way of practice. But, as a teacher, it is my job to help you improve, and if that means telling you when you aren't putting forth the appropriate effort, I'm up to the task. Curriculum: For beginner and basic students, there are a number of books we can work out of. Usually I recommend working out of the same books that the student is required to have by their school band program. For more advanced students, there is a wide variety of useful material available. Some of the materials I use include: - Clarke Technical Studies - The Arban Book - Jamey Aebersold's Jazz Play-A-Longs - Various exercises I have developed or learned from other brass players. - etc *** Studio Equipment *** I have several spaces in my home suitable for lessons. I teach most lessons in my office or living room. My living room has better acoustics, but my office is more private. Both locations have computers with large screens that I can use to display sheet music, play recordings, or run play-a-long tracks. I also have a nice high workload printer/copier/scanner that I can use to make copies or print out materials for you. I have pianos available for use, when applicable, in two rooms of the house, and a number of music stands. For Skype lessons, I have an HD webcam and a studio quality recording microphone to provide the best possible experience. *** Travel Equipment *** n/a *** Specialties *** I specialize in playing jazz lead/commercial music, and especially playing in the upper register of the trumpet.