The clarinet is and amazing and versatile instrument used in a huge variety of genres including: classical, swing, jazz, musical theater and commercial music. It can also be one of the most challenging instruments to get started on. I'm here to make that those first few steps as easy and fun as possible. For the more developed student, I can help identify and strengthen weakness and develop skills to take their playing to the next level. With my students, I aim to develop a strong foundation of technique, sound production, tone quality and reading skills so that no matter the musical situation, they are playing their very best. I use a wide range of of exercises and techniques, method/etude books, duet playing, as well as listening and ear training to give my students a well rounded approach to the bass clarinet and music in general, helping them to become the best musician they can be. Wether you’re preparing for an audition, or just learning for fun, I can help you reach your goals and beyond!

I am a professional clarinetist passionate about sharing the joy of music with others. I specialize in beginner to intermediate students of all ages. I teach students how to practice and why to practice in order to help them fall in love with the clarinet! Typical lessons involve scales, sight reading, and a piece that the student chooses. If you like having fun and learning about different kinds of music send me a message!

Want to develop a beautiful clarinet sound while avoiding awkward squawks and squeaks? As both a saxophone and clarinet player, I can help with many of the technical challenges that may affect a beginning or intermediate player. My curriculum focuses heavily on the Cyril Rose studies for clarinet, as well as the Rubank Advanced Method.

Tired of being frustrated by the pace of self-teaching or is your child bored with the progress in school band class? Are you an adult who never played an instrument but are really interested in learning a wind instrument? Not able to express yourself creatively or don't really understand why your favorite songs or styles of music work? Do you want a more hands-on way of teaching with personalized plans just for you? Learn how to play the Clarinet with Michael! Michael teaches a variety of instruments and subjects in the woodwind family: - Saxophone - Clarinet - Flute - Improvisation - Music Theory - Jazz Studies Michael creates versatile and fun lesson plans that incorporate learning your favorite music while teaching theory, improvisation, note reading, songwriting, or any other interests! He has an easy-to-follow, fun, but yet structured and thorough plan designed for results to help the student reach their goals, rather than imposing an one-size-fits-all plan just from lesson books! Michael teaches anyone from kids to adults and seniors and encourages all students to be creative while really understanding the music they play. Michael incorporates classical and traditional music into lesson programs alongside modern styles to create diverse and interesting repertoire!

I've been playing clarinet for 30 years and teaching for about 20. For my beginning students I like the Essential Elements series as well as the Klose method.

We are going to HAVE FUN! I will be customizing your lessons to your needs, your skill level, your age, and most importantly, what you would like to learn on the Clarinet. Before getting into the pertinent details for clarinet, I also offer lessons on the "Recorder" or also known as the Flutophone. The recorder is a terrific beginners instrument for young children who have no prior experience with music. As an adult, if you enjoy the sound of the flute, but prefer to start with something easier, then the recorder would be a great choice. If you, or your child is interested in the recorder, sign up here for clarinet, but make a note it is the recorder you are signing up for. TakeLessons has not added the recorder to the list of instruments, but is in the process of doing so. Also, if group lessons is something of interest, we can make arrangements through this platform. Group lessons are great for homeschool groups, especially when a music class has been incorporated into a home school co-op, and no one is available teach recorder. This is an excellent platform to provide those group lessons. Years ago, I taught the recorder in our Christian School, grades K-6th. The students looked forward to each class and had so much fun! Ever so often, I will hear from someone (who is now a grownup), and refers to those times as some wonderful memories. I will be including the basic fundamentals (for example, scales and arpeggios as warmup exercises when you practice) keeping them fun, not grueling or boring. Students interested in learning clarinet will be instructed in the basic principles of the clarinet such as proper finger placement and how to sit while playing. We will focus on both note reading as well as ear training (learning to play by ear) which opens up a whole new level when playing any instrument. Of course we will focus on the strengths of each student as everyone will vary in these areas. Some are stronger in note reading, whereas others are skilled and even gifted in playing by ear. My ultimate goal is for each student to have fun and enjoy this fun instrument. I will help you sight read music (new songs) which is extremely useful should you join a group or accompany others and they suddenly place a piece of music in front of you and would like you to play it. Sight reading helps you to play songs you've never seen or had a chance to practice ahead of time. Of course the most important is learning the genre of music (songs) you like. We can discuss the areas you are most interested in before signing up to see if we are a good fit in this area. Before moving on to Lesson Details, should you sign up for clarinet lessons, I want you to know that the above mentioned is not in concrete. I will never force a student of mine to do something they absolutely do not want to do. I will encourage you to try it, but once you've come to the conclusion you have no desire for certain areas, we will focus on what it is you desire to learn and feel most comfortable at learning. Concerning very young children, we may not be as flexible as they do not have the ability to discern what they want or need quite yet. As they progress, and I can see where their strengths and weaknesses lie, we can discuss what will be best for them to progress without having difficulties, which could be discouraging and lead to quitting early on. NEW! Starting on 9/1/2021: I have decided to offer all new students an "indefinite discount" for not only back-to-school students, but for all ages. To be a bit of a financial help, I've lowered my current prices to give a long term discount. A 30 minute lesson is usually $28.00. With the discount, it will be $23. A 45 minute lesson is usually $39, with the discount, it will be $34. A 60 minute lesson is usually $50, with the discount, it will be $45. *** Lesson Details *** Listed here are the basics you will need to get off to a great start at your first lesson and future lessons. These are required items to learn properly, as well as for me to teach you adequately. Without these tools, we will struggle as both teacher and student, which is not what either of us would want. Please be sure to order these items as soon as possible once you've committed to lessons. If these items have not arrived before the lesson, I do have material we can and will use, so again, don't fret over this. As you will see, I am flexible and want this to be fun, not frustrating for you. 1. A Clarinet This may sound simple, just get a clarinet, and you're all set. But there's a little more to "just" having a clarinet in your possession and presuming you or your child can play it with ease. The pads must be in very good condition. If they are worn, old, dried out, cracked or worse yet, missing altogether, you will need to have this instrument refurbished or purchase one in excellent working order. The keys and mechanisms must also be working properly. Bent or missing springs/screws can cause a malfunctioning of the keys needed to be pressed to achieve different notes on the clarinet. 2. Reeds A reed is vital to play the clarinet. My suggestion is to go to your nearest music store with your clarinet and let them know who will be learning on this instrument. They will be able to help you purchase the correct reed for your instrument. Please be sure to buy multiple reeds to have extra on hand as they do chip or crack easily. A reed can last quite a long time when well taken care of and properly stored, but things happen, and quickly. Once a reed has a crack or a piece chipped out, it will be extremely difficult and often times impossible to play. 3. Lesson Books. Once you are signed up and paid, I will send you an email with the books you'll need to order. I like to start with lesson books that are great for all ages. They will be relatively easy, thus making learning how to play the clarinet fun, not grueling. As you progress through the first series of lesson books, I will send you an email with next series of books to be able to continue with lessons, if you so desire. *If you have a particular book you would like to work out of, please send me the name of the book so I can review it (and purchase if need be) so I can help you with it. *** Studio Equipment *** I have a dedicated area of my home where I keep all my instruments as well as having high quality audio equipment, a computer with high speed internet, and excellent lighting. As a side note, this is my home in which I also have a business raising Bernese Mountain Dogs. They may come and go in the background, but I can assure you that if they appear to be a distraction in any manner, especially for younger children, I will make sure they are placed appropriately so as to remove this form of distraction before the lesson begins. *** Students Equipment *** Before starting the first lesson, I do expect the student to have a clarinet and lesson book(s) as mentioned above in "Lesson Details". You must have access to a computer with a good internet that will not drop or freeze in a Zoom lesson. Having an external microphone is helpful in being able to hear both the instrument and your voice, but not a requirement unless the mic on device does not work properly. When using an external mic, it may require you to use headphones depending on how it is set up. *Note: I do not recommend viewing lessons from a smart phone or iPad. There are multiple reasons they are not conducive for zoom lessons. If this is the only method available when first starting lessons, this is understandable, but try your best to transition to a laptop. An iPad is better than a smartphone, but unless you have a high speed internet, there can be issues at times with iPads as well as with a smart phone. ***Steps to Prepare your Computer*** There are some important steps you as the student (or parent of a child/children) can take to prepare your computer to work efficiently for online lessons. I will list them here for you, as well as send them in an email along with the lesson books you will need to purchase. If you run into problems with any of the steps, try to find someone (friend, family member, neighbor) who may have a good working knowledge of computers to help you. If you have no one, I am willing to talk you through it over the phone, which could be a bit of a challenge, but worth trying! 1. Clear history, cookies, cache prior to each lesson. 2. Download zoom occasionally to ensure you are using the most recent/updated version. 3. Make sure others in the household are not online (on other devices) during your lesson. 4. Close all programs running in the background. 5. Stop or delete any unnecessary apps that may be running in the background. 6. Try to avoid using an iPad or a smartphone for lessons, if at all possible. Thank You for viewing my profile. Please feel free to ask me questions through TakeLessons. I will do my very best to answer each and every one to the best of my abilities. To Your Success! Rhonda

I teach students of all ages and abilities. I have a number of clarinet students, one of which went on to major in music education and is now a band director. If you don't live near me, online lessons are a great alternative to in person lessons. I have had success teaching many students of various abilities and ages throughout the country and abroad online ! I have taught online students from 26 different states and 3 other countries.

I have been teaching private lessons on woodwinds, including the clarinet, for 23 years. I emphasize fundamental techniques of sound production, fingering and music reading to help you become the best player possible. I use various published methods for the clarinet depending upon your ability level. All styles of music are within your reach on the clarinet!