Saxophone with Jacob G.

Hello! My name is Jake Gibson. I currently am a PhD Student in Music Education at Kent State University. I am also the Graduate Assistant in Music Education at Kent State. I play the saxophone and piano as my primary instruments, but as a former band director, I feel comfortable teaching a wide range of beginning band instruments. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education with a concentration in Saxophone Performance from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a Master's degree in Music Education Studies with a concentration in instrumental conducting from SUNY Fredonia. At both institutions, I have earned Summa Cum Laude Honors and was selected as the outstanding departmental senior in music education during my undergraduate tenure. I always aim to teach each individual student according to their individual needs rather than try and teach just one way to all students. I value your experiences greatly in your educational journey. It is my goal to lead each student to success in meaningful and thoughtful teaching practices. I believe that the experiences and cultures of each student plays a significant role on how to teach the individual, and such experiences and cultures are celebrated through specific learning activities. I have experience in recording live performances as a pianist in contemporary church settings. In this experience, I performed as a piano player for a variety of different online recording sessions throughout the pandemic. The music for this experience was in the contemporary Christian genre. I also have a strong background in the marching arts, having performed in multiple world championships through the WGI competitive circuit as a pianist and electronic sampler. I have also taught multiple marching bands as a percussion technician, marching technician, and woodwind technician. I served as the director for a competitive marching band that competed in local and state wide competitions, having earned the NY state Small School II Title in 2016. I am happily married and have a beautiful baby girl at home, as well as two loving dogs.