“Barrington is a highly skilled French horn, trombone, trumpet, and tuba teacher, offering lessons to students from age 6 to adults. He has a rich educational background with a Bachelor's degree in classical trombone performance from the University of Toronto, where he was taught by Jeffrey Hall, bass trombonist of the Toronto Symphony. Additionally, Barrington has had lessons with Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He believes in tailoring his teaching methods to meet the unique needs and objectives of each student, focusing on the fundamental aspects of instrumental playing for those aiming for higher proficiency. Barrington offers online lessons and in-home sessions in areas including King and Toronto, ON. His approach to teaching is centered around the student's needs, aiming to foster a comprehensive understanding of music while building technical skills.”
- Barrington
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My teaching philosophy is centered on the student's needs and objectives. I understand that each student has unique goals and motivations for music education, and I tailor my methods and tools accordingly. For students who aim to develop a basic appreciation for music and the arts without necessarily pursuing a professional career, I focus on imparting a fundamental understanding of musical principles. This includes fostering artistic taste, exploring different styles, and building knowledge of various artists and repertoire. On the other hand, students who aspire to achieve higher proficiency with their instruments, perhaps for school band or even a potential career in music, receive a more intensive approach. I prioritize the foundational aspects of instrumental playing, emphasizing techniques like breathing, ergonomics, tone production, range, flexibility, and articulation. Alongside these, I incorporate scale, arpeggio, and chord practice, as well as customized technical etudes tailored to each student's requirements. This comprehensive approach accelerates their technical progress and facilitates quicker mastery of repertoire. Recognizing that most students fall somewhere between these extremes, I draw from both approaches to create a customized learning experience that suits the individual student's needs and goals. This flexibility ensures that each student can thrive and make meaningful progress in their musical journey.
Name: Barrington (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 30's
Gender: male
I obtained a Bachelor's degree (with honors) in classical trombone performance from University of Toronto. My principal teacher while at U of T was Jeffrey Hall, bass trombonist of the Toronto Symphony I have also had lessons with Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
I literally grew up around music. Both my parents are professional musicians, and I grew up watching and hearing them practice their instruments at all hours of the day. There are still Chopin piano etudes and trumpet solos that I catch myself humming at odd times before realizing that they are memories from childhood. My first musical instruction in brass (trumpet) was from my father, and in piano and voice from my mother. As I grew up, I sang extensively in school and church choirs, and played, at one time or another, every brass instrument. In fact, my main instrument was the trumpet until moving to trombone around age 17. Some of my teaching experience comes from being an instructor at summer music camps, where I have taught brass, choir, and music theory - mainly to children ages 6-17 for many years. However, in the last few years I've started to do more teaching during the year, and have branched out to other age groups. I have taught children as young as 6, all the way up to adults age 76. I also have some experience teaching autistic children.
English
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Barrington is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Barrington can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.