Astoria, NY French Horn Lessons

t orchestras and groups all around the Los Angeles area. I am also apart of a horn ensemble called the Thursday Horn Club. I have performed in such wonderful venues as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Sydney Opera house, in which I was able to premier a piece!

I look forward to working with you or your child in helping to start or continue a musical instrument!

*** Lesson Details ***
When I teach lessons, I like to check in with the student to see how their day was and how practicing throughout the week went. I am very patient and will teach at the student's pace. I expect the student to practice during the week, even if for just 10 minutes a day. I will always work with a student as long as it takes to have them understand what is difficult for them musically.

For music, I try to find free options but books may be a better option. When we choose a book to play out of, I like to choose a book together so that the parent and the child are happy about the selection. Books vary based on what the needs are for each student. Books are to be purchased by the parent.

I usually play my instruments with the students, but being a freelance musician, I may need to save my chops for an upcoming gig. Not always, but happens from time to time :)

I also have a 24-hour cancellation/lesson change policy. If you are late for your lesson, I will try to accommodate the time but may have students or rehearsals afterward so it will not always be a guarantee. If you are going to be late, please text me BEFORE the scheduled lesson.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Lesson space is in my home w/ seating for parents and music stand for students. I also have a cat and a dog, so if you are allergic, please let me know!

*** Travel Equipment ***
I expect the student to provide the music books and their own instruments and music stand.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in classical genres of playing but I am able to teach all different styles of music.

ning ongoing North American engagements with new collaborations with leading Baroque ensembles in Denmark as well as in the rest of Scandinavia and Europe. In Europe he has played with Camerata Øresund, Copenhagen Soloists, Barokksolistene, Arte dei Suonatori, Höör Barock, Enghave Barok, the Næstved Early Music Festival, Ensemble Hven, and several others.

As a modern trumpeter, Justin has experience performing in orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, pit orchestras for opera and musical theater, British brass bands, and numerous chamber ensembles. Before beginning his college career, he was principal trumpeter of the DC Youth Orchestra and had the opportunity to tour Japan as a trumpet soloist. He also performed regularly with the Prince George’s Philharmonic while in high school. More recently, he as appeared as a soloist with the South Dakota Symphony, the Firelands Symphony, and the Las Vegas Sinfonietta.

In addition to be being a trumpeter, Justin is also a countertenor and has sung with Apollo’s Fire and Opera Cleveland. While in Ohio, he was an alto section leader in the chamber and chancel choirs at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland and was the countertenor with Cantores Cleveland (now Contrapunctus). In addition, Justin briefly served as a bass section leader at Church of the Covenant in Cleveland. Justin also plays recorder.

Justin earned his DMA in trumpet performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He received his MA in early music performance practices from Case Western and his BM in trumpet performance from the University of Maryland. His primary trumpet teachers include Chris Gekker, Barry Bauguess, Steven Hendrickson, Steven Trinkle, and Justin Emerich. He has studied voice with Delores Zeigler, Ellen Hargis, and Aaron Sheehan. As a graduate assistant, Justin taught courses in ear training and music appreciation, and was a harpsichord tuner.

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“The orchestra brought out the pulsy organ-grinder quality in the first movement of Concerto 3, but it was [Brandenburg] Concerto 2 that was the real show-stopper. Justin [B.], on Baroque trumpet, trilled his way nearly effortlessly through one of the most difficult parts in the repertoire, the highest notes piercingly clear above the orchestra.” (Post-Bulletin)

“It [the Baroque trumpet] is more difficult to play than its modern counterpart, but it’s a fascinating and arresting sound. The trumpet part in the second [Brandenburg] concerto is famous for its fiendish difficulties, and Justin [B.] played it with aplomb.” (Edmonton Journal)

“Skilled [Baroque trumpet] players can play the notes of the harmonic series with such instruments. A very refined embouchure is needed to “lip” or flatten or sharpen the impure harmonics of the notes of the 11th and 13th harmonics. The most virtuosic could use such techniques to produce certain chromatic notes outside this series…Justin [B.] made such skills seem effortless…” (Classical Voice of North Carolina)

“…trumpeter Justin [B.] displayed dazzling virtuosity in the solo cantata [“Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen”]…”(Grunion Gazette)

“A good trumpet player is hard to find, and an excellent one harder still. It’s again still rarer to find a great player of the baroque trumpet, since the instrument is considerably harder to play than its modern counterpart (smaller embouchure, no valves) and this may explain why Justin [B.] is so darn busy and why he plays with, well, basically everyone.” (The WholeNote)

and New Jersey and has taught at the secondary level in both states. In addition to both instrumental and choral ensembles at Penn State, Thomas was a student leader in the Penn State Blue Band and a member of the brass section of the Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps in 1993 and 1994. He served as an Associate Director of the Warren Junior Military Band of Youngstown, Ohio from 1995 to 2005. He also served as a visual staff member for the renowned North Penn Marching Knights of Lansdale, PA for one season in 2004.

He is a current adjudicator with Drum Corps International and Cavalcade of Bands. He is a member of MENC, PMEA, NJMEA, ASCAP, CASA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the National Band Association. He appeared in the Marquis Who's Who Among American Educators in 2004 and 2005, an honor rarely bestowed upon teachers, as students who appear in the Who's Who Among American High School Students must nominate them. He currently is a music teacher at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts of the PA Leadership Charter School in West Chester, PA and resides in Downingtown, PA with his wife and two sons.

Thomas will happily work with students on the autism spectrum or students with ADD.

*** Lesson Details ***
My lessons are tailored to the needs and interests of each student. If a student is involved in school music ensembles, we will work with their lesson books from school in addition to material outside of the books, including SmartMusic, Noteflight, and teacher-created materials. We will focus on building proper tone production and individual technique - something that often is difficult to learn in a large ensemble setting.

I am capable of starting a beginner student on any band instrument including percussion, any classical string instrument (violin, viola, cello, string bass), and piano. I can begin a student on drum set and work with them through their first method book, but I would then recommend they find a specialized drum set teacher after a period of six to twelve months.

For advanced students, I work from selected conservatory etude books on developing advanced skills and can work with students on audition pieces for honors bands/orchestras or college auditions.

My lessons are a half-hour once a week, with the option of working for 45 minutes or 60 minutes.

*** Specialties ***
music, band, orchestra, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, violin, viola, cello, string bass, piano, Percussion
classical, jazz improvisation

Grammys.........

I play and teach all styles; Classical, rock, Broadway, jazz,pop, etc.....

I have performed at the world class, A-list level in all the above mentioned styles as well.

I believe it is critical to be humble, down to earth and easy to work with, no matter how accomplished, student, teacher, or parent. :)..................

s including the Hudson Arts Alliance in Hudson, MA, the Kittredge Elementary School in North Andover, MA, and the Performing Arts Center of Metro West in Framingham, MA. I have studied jazz performance with trumpet greats John McNeil and Walter White, improvisation with jazz gurus David Schumacher and Jerry Bergonzi, and George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization with master composer and theorist Ben Schwendener.

As an educator, my aim is to inspire in my students an enthusiasm for the artistic performance of music of any style. I strive to convey my own excitement for the art to young trumpeters and improvisers, and I have worked to encourage self-motivation and a longstanding interest in musical self-expression in elementary through high school students and adults. I have experience performing many styles of music from jazz and experimental improvised music to funk, reggae, and afro-beat, and I use my knowledge of divergent genres to encourage creative experimentation and convey the expressive artistic elements shared by all music. As an improviser I am particularly interested in teaching the theory and philosophy of spontaneous composition and musical communication.

the Knox-Galesburg Symphony. I also have solo experience and have put on a junior recital, senior recital, two graduate recitals, and I performed the Hindemith Horn Sonata with the WIU Symphony Orchestra as a Concerto Competition winner as well as participate in many horn studio recitals during my college career. I am now living in Rochester Hills where I have been teaching private lessons, teaching Horn sectionals to local schools, and performing in several local orchestras including the Oakland Symphony Orchestra and Macomb Symphony Orchestra. I am willing and happy to teach all levels of musicians and I hope you consider me if you are interested.