Lessons for beginners, of any age

Starting late isn't the disadvantage people think it is

Two groups show up as beginners and they need different things. A ten-year-old starting saxophone needs the instrument to be physically manageable, a reason to practice that's not being told to, and a parent who knows what good practice sounds like from the next room. An adult starting or restarting needs permission to be bad at something for six weeks, and a plan that produces a recognizable tune early rather than three months of long tones.

Adults have one real advantage: they can be told why. A beginner who understands what a scale is for practices differently from one who's working through a book. Theory, if it's taught alongside playing rather than instead of it, makes the playing come faster rather than slower.

For parents, the school's rental is usually fine to start on, and a bad reed or a leaking pad accounts for more give-ups than lack of talent. If a child suddenly sounds worse for no reason, that's almost always the instrument and it's worth ten minutes of my time to check before anyone concludes they're not musical.

Lessons are $50 for thirty minutes, $75 for forty-five and $100 for the hour, and for a young beginner thirty minutes is the right length for a long time. There's a page on choosing between them, because paying more for an hour a nine-year-old can't concentrate through helps nobody.

In person around Cincinnati, Covington and Newport, or online. Online works better than most people expect for anything involving theory, composition or transcription, because everything can be written down and looked at together while we talk about it.

What that means in practice

I also work with Couples planning a wedding, School and university band directors, Bandleaders and working bands, Venues, restaurants and event planners.