I try to meet each of my students where they are in their training and work with them as individuals. Music performance is not necessarily linear. I worked with one student on the syllabus you see to the right of this text to address some of the things they were working on and in a way that felt more organic to them. And lest any potential student think, “cooool, that’s all?” that syllabus worked in tandem with a practice schedule that accounted for how each 5 minute unit of each practice session was used and then graded by the student for effectiveness. The point is, everybody is different and I find we can get results faster if there is open communication and flexible/realistic lesson plans.
I take a holistic approach, teaching efficient and sustainable techniques for practice and peak performance, as well as versatile musicianship and strategies required to successfully navigate a volatile and changing music business. As I encourage my students to find their own voice, exploit their strengths and pursue their true interests – we also work on orchestral excerpts, etudes, standard solo and chamber music repertoire, and performance practice for all styles of playing from baroque to contemporary to jazz to commercial playing. I teach healthy, efficient sound production (no pain, no pain!) and techniques to help make horn playing easier.
Ann Ellsworth 