Emma J

About Emma J

Emma is a performer, teacher and composer based in Leeds. She has been performing as a professional musician for the past 10 years and has a wide range of experience in various styles of music.
Emma studied at Leeds College of Music, gaining a BA (Jazz) specialising in saxophone, and has since cultivated a diverse career. She currently teaches both privately and in community/ school settings, where she has gained experience working with children and adults alike.

Emma plays saxophone with a number of groups, regularly performing around the UK with her own quartet as well as various function bands, and has a wealth of experience passing on her knowledge and love of music to pupils.

Teaching in Saxophone and Clarinet:
Emma is comfortable teaching absolute beginners all the way up to the highest standards of woodwind players and can adapt her teaching to best suit your interests and learning style. She currently teaches a wide range of children and adults, some working towards exams, some learning to play for fun, and others with interests in improvisation and ensemble playing.

Lessons with Emma can include:
- Learning and working towards songs/pieces
- Note Reading
- Technique (scales, sight reading etc)
- Working towards exams if desired
- Improvisation
- Extended Techniques

In the most recent exam sitting, Emma’s pupils all received Merit and above, with one pupil gaining Grade 8 Saxophone, one gaining Grade 2 Clarinet and 3 gaining Grade 1 Clarinet.

Teaching In Music Theory/GCSE Music:
Emma has a wide range of musical theory knowledge from classical to popular music, and always is keen to pass it on in a way that is interesting and easy to understand.
Far more than just working through past papers, Emma’s teaching brings musical theory off the page as she presents it with demonstrations that enable the pupil to apply their knowledge and practice it in a more dynamic way.
Further to this, her GCSE tuition works on all elements of the current syllabus to help pupils get the best grade possible, with focused attention and help they may not receive in a larger class.

Genre
Emma is flexible and has an interest in a wide range of musical styles. Although a jazz specialist, she also performs with various pop and soul bands, and also has a wealth of experience teaching and performing classical music.

First lesson
The first lesson is always tailored specifically to the student. Emma takes the time to find out what you want to learn and why, as well as what music you’re interested in. Especially when learning new notes, or how to read music, playing songs that you like the sound of really helps to motivate you to practice. In your first lesson, Emma will assess your level (or get you started if you’re a beginner), and go from there to set achievable targets each lesson to ensure you’re making the progress you want to!

Beginners
Students should expect to buy educational materials for the lessons, as well as their own instrument, however Emma can recommend places to buy or loan an instrument that would be right for you.

Please do write Emma a message if you are interested in signing up for lessons or have any questions.