Trumpet with Jonny G.

I am a current student at William Paterson University studying jazz trumpet and music education. I have been fortunate to study with nationally and internationally acclaimed trumpeters Jeremy Pelt, Joe Mosello, and Nathan Eklund. Additionally, I have studied under the great guitarist Joseph Federico learning the improvisation studies of Denis Sandole. I am an alumni of the Jazz House Kids program in Montclair New Jersey where I worked under musicians such as Abraham Burton and Mike Lee. As a trumpeter, my skills vary from technique, jazz improvisation, lead trumpet playing, to classical playing. I was a member of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra in 2018, a jazz band consisting of musicians selected from across the United States. With this band I traveled to Japan and performed in the Monterey Jazz Festival in California. I have also toured Europe on several other occasions playing festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Umbria Jazz Festival with the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra. Here in the States I have played at venues such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Birdland, Chris’s Jazz Café in Philly, The Kennedy Center, and more. As a teacher, my teaching styles are catered to every student. After five years of teaching, I have seen firsthand that no two people learn the same way. Therefore, I find what works best for each student, and then create individual lesson plans, books, and exercises for them. Technique is very important in my lesson plans. Music is hard enough as it is before trying to put it through a trumpet. Yet, with a solid proficiency of trumpet, we find that it becomes a lot easier to play what we want and have fun with it. Technique is touched on with every lesson and students are taught how to further their technique on their own. I believe in not only correcting student’s mistakes, but also teaching them how to practice productively at home. I am a strong believer in positive reinforcement as I have found that students have more success when they are encouraged and confident in themselves. Lastly, I believe the most important part of playing music is that everyone enjoys it, and while I challenge every student (even if they don’t realize it), I make sure that no student is overwhelmed.