About Gordon
Gordon's teaching philosophy centers around tailoring lessons to each student's learning style, emphasizing fundamental techniques while allowing students to explore the music they love. With 25 years of teaching experience, he adapts his approach to meet the needs of beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. Gordon's diverse background in classical and jazz studies, including advanced trumpet training with renowned teachers, enriches his teaching style. He focuses on expanding range, developing tone and articulation, and nurturing musicianship. His lessons cover a wide range of topics, from repertoire preparation to improvisation and composition, ensuring a well-rounded musical education. Gordon's goal is to foster a love of music in his students that lasts a lifetime, creating a supportive and enjoyable learning environment for students of all ages and skill levels. Book an interview with Gordon now to unlock a rewarding musical journey tailored to your individual needs and interests!
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH GORDON NOW
My teaching is focused on developing fundamental techniques that will allow you to play the music you love. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been able to work with beginner, intermediate, and advanced students, and have developed new strategies to best utilize this method. My 25 years of teaching have shown me that there are many styles of learning; it's my job to help you on your musical way in the way that works best for you. During our lessons, we'll expand range and endurance, develop tone and articulation, phrasing, and musicianship. We can work on any repertoire, prepare for exams and auditions, as well as improvisation and composition. We'll also explore the many styles of trumpet playing found around the world, through playing and listening. Lessons which balance new challenges and having fun help students to develop a love of making music that can last a lifetime, and that's what I wish for all my students. I am proud to have a diverse studio featuring beginners, amateur players, and professional musicians of all backgrounds and styles, from age 5 to 75. I have experience teaching those with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Name: Gordon (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 40's
Gender: male
I completed classical and jazz studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto, York University, the Vancouver Creative Music Institute, and at the Banff Centre for the Arts. I did 10 years of advanced trumpet studies in New York with master teacher Laurie Frink, the foremost exponent of Carmine Caruso's universally effective method.
Canada Council for the Arts: Grants to Professional Musicians 2012, 2011, 2005; Travel Grants 2005, 2004; Touring 2012, 2010 François-Marcaurelle Prize, for Best Performance at L’Off festival de jazz de Montréal 2007 &2012 Opus Prize (awarded by the Conceil québecois de la musique) 2007-2008 Gala de l’Alternative Musicale Indépendante du Québec (GAMIQ) 2008 Residencies: Trading Places, Western Front, Vancouver BC: 6 performances & 2 workshops, 2017 Artist-in-Residence, Something Else! Festiva, Hamilton ON, 2015 Québec Studio, New York City, summer & fall 2014 Banff Centre, Banff AB, winter 2005
I offer a wealth of experience to my students, both as a teacher and as a very experienced performer. My professional career goes back to the mid 1990's, and has brought me to clubs, concert halls, churches across North America. I've played on 80 albums, worked as a radio host, ran a music venue, and directed the Festival of New Trumpet Music Canada. I am happy to share my knowledge and experience with my students, so that music can grow in their lives. For 10 years I traveled to New York City to study with master teacher Laurie Frink. She was the foremost exponent of Carmine Caruso's method, and she was a very gifted teacher with students from all around the world. The method has been a crucial part of my development as a trumpet player, and I took Laurie's teachings to heart. She demonstrated that a teacher is more than a collection of knowledge with great technique; a teacher is only fulfilled when their students grow and evolve as players and musicians. I use Caruso's and Laurie's teachings as well as those that I'm always interested in developing myself, as they meet the needs of my students.
English
French
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).
Online lessons
Gordon 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.