LESSONS

Quick Navigation...

What I Teach...

I offer students musical insights and practical, meaningful activities for their practicing drawn from decades of experience as both a performer and educator (for more detailed info, please visit my About Page). Communicating workable solutions for musical problems experienced by beginner, intermediate and advanced musicians of all ages is my primary objective.

Teaching lessons and playing gigs are each equally important to me. They are the left and right arms of my career. Therefore, students benefit from my real world performance skills distilled into targeted advice and delivery aimed at their specific age and musical goals.

“The greatest gift you offer is your enthusiasm.” — Jennifer Cluff

“It is a question of time, patience and intelligent work.” — Marcel Moyse

Instruments and Fields of Study

Saxophones
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Flute, Piccolo
Woodwind Doubling
Music Theory
Jazz Improvisation and Repertoire
Jazz Theory
Jazz Composition and Arranging

Styles

Classical
Jazz
Commercial/Pop
R&B/Funk
Rock
Broadway

Practice Method Refinement

Strategizing “deliberate” practice activities based on performance goals
Implementing positive practicing habits and rituals
Audio and video playlists of masters performing on your instrument for inspiration and study
Incorporating ad hoc technology/apps to enhance practicing

"It is necessary to envision our goals because what we desire takes place in our inner worlds first. So, why not picture yourself getting a good sound, having fun playing music, and achieving the ends which you desire?" — Jerry Bergonzi

Age Range

The youngest age I advise to begin learning a woodwind instrument is 8 years old. This is due to the ratio of body size (especially arms, hands and fingers) to the size of the instrument (whether saxophone, clarinet or flute). That said, I have taught flute students as young as seven using a wrap-around head joint.
There is no upper age limit I advise for lessons. I've taught multiple students in their 80s.

Online Lessons

As of March 2020 I am offering online lessons.

Email me at eric@ericerhardtmusic.com for logistical details and online lesson guidelines.

My preferred platform for online teaching is Zoom.us video conferencing. This service is generally easy to use, and for small meetings like an online lesson it’s free. If you are unfamiliar with how Zoom works, their website’s Support Page is a great place to start. I'm also happy to help you set it up!

I have found Zoom.us offers the best combination of quality, flexibility and reliability, but other video conferencing platforms such as Skype or FaceTime are possible if you prefer.

Face-to-face lessons where teacher and student interact with one another in the same room allow for synchronized playing. This experience is impossible to reliably duplicate online, even with a solid and fast internet connection. A service like JamKazam — which requires a wired connection via Ethernet cable — shows promise, but experiences with this are mixed. At the time of this writing, I have not tried any of the supposedly low-latency options, so I can't speak to their value. But I know a hard-wired set up is required, and there is likely an extra cost for the account.

The bottom line is that playing in sync with one another in a unison passage or duet online is unreliable at best. My in-person lessons nearly always have a component of synchronized playing. Online lessons, however, are necessarily more of a back-and-forth exchange.

So far I have managed to adapt to this environment as a teacher, and I am progressing with each online lesson I teach. I've created a private online database to share music with my students so we can literally be on the same page, and I've made a PDF with guidelines on how to get the most from your online lesson. I will send you the link and PDF when you email eric@ericerhardtmusic.com to set up your first lesson.

TRY IT FREE!

I am offering 15 minutes free of charge to help you acclimate to the online lesson experience, and decide if it's for you...

When you continue, here is my

Current Fee Structure:

$12 for 15 minutes

So a half hour lesson is $24

45 minutes: $36

1 hour: $48

etc...

15 minute lessons are also available...

This is a great option if you have a small issue or get stuck on something, and would like a quick demonstration, some feedback or coaching.

Scheduling a regular weekly time is preferred, but not necessary. Currently I'm perfectly willing to do one-off lessons of any length that suits your needs.

Payment is accepted via Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, etc.

To set up a lesson or find out more, email

Eric@Ericerhardtmusic.com.

If you’re not sure if this is right for you, email me!

I'm happy to answer your questions.

Let's Play Music in the Cloud!

As of March 26, 2020 Music & Arts Center is Temporarily Closed

Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak, all lessons have stopped and the store has closed its doors until tri-county restrictions are lifted.

Subscribe to my Blog for updates.

MUSIC & ARTS CENTER

Westminster, CO

Phone: 303-427-0601

https://stores.musicarts.com/westminster

7350-B West 88th Ave

Westminster, CO 80021-6400

I have been teaching at Music & Arts Center in Westminster, CO since 2011. Instruments I teach are the same instruments I have played professionally for over three decades: All Saxophones, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute and Piccolo. I teach and perform a broad spectrum of styles including Classical, Jazz, R&B and Rock.

Lessons can follow any track that suits your needs. I will help you to prepare for a challenging audition, build technique, strengthen sight-reading, learn to improvise, better understand music theory, write an original song, create an arrangement, or simply play your favorite songs or style of music to relax and have fun. All levels and ages welcome!

Contact Music & Arts Center for details about lesson plans, and please visit my About page if you would like to learn more about my career as a teacher and performer.

I look forward to playing music with you!

Current Music & Arts Students:

Make-Up Lesson Calendar

In the event of scheduling conflicts during regular lesson times, I am always happy to provide a Make-up Lesson.

My teaching hours at Music & Arts Center are

Monday through Thursday from Noon until 9pm.

These regular hours are the first and best choices for scheduling your Make-up Lesson.

Below is a Google Calendar displaying a "Week-by-Week" view of my teaching schedule at the store. Details are hidden to protect your privacy; appointments are marked only as 'busy'.

My objective in using the Google Calendar is to make finding an available Make-up Lesson time as quick and easy as possible for all parties involved.

How It Works...

The Dark Blue Blocks are time slots currently occupied by other students, or they represent "black-out" portions of my schedule. If I am unable to teach due to a prior commitment, I will create a block for the span of time that I'm unavailable.

Please Note: Until all lessons during a "black-out" event are processed, there will be overlapping 'busy' blocks. This does not mean spaces between the smaller 'busy' blocks are free. Only slots within the hours listed above that are completely blank are available.

I will regularly mark my calendar with "black-out" blocks as I become aware of conflicts. I will then contact you so you can decide to either credit your lesson or schedule a Make-up. Please provide me with reasonable notice when a scheduling conflict arises on your end. Lessons cancelled less than 24 hours from their scheduled start time are non-refundable, and I will not plan to offer a Make-up in such cases.

Each student or parent, etc. should have my cell phone number (also available by calling the store: 303-427-0601). The best way to reach me is via text, and the second best way is to call. When you become aware of the scheduling conflict, check the Google Calendar below for an available Make-up slot. Text or call me with the date and time. Once you hear back from me that your time is confirmed, that means I have changed it on my Calendar and we are good to go!

NOTE: To prevent double booking, only I can edit the Google calendar

Make-up times will always be scheduled on a first come, first served basis.

If you have any questions about this system, feel free to text, call, or speak with me at the store.

Also Check Out My...

BetterFate

BLOG

Launching April 2020

The BetterFate Blog supports the Woodwind Woodshed Podcast by posting a transcript of every show.
From performance to teaching and beyond, the Blog explores a wide array of topics.
On concerns in my wheelhouse, I aim to provide clear plans, explanations and graphics informed by my own experience and analysis.
Articles and other media appear ad hoc when my thinking takes shape.

Follow Blog

Visit Page

Woodwind Woodshed

PODCAST