Staff Bios
Gary Gould
Saxophones, clarinets, flutes, penny whistles, theremin, percussion, accordion, world music, music theory, and improvisation
Hi, I'm Gary Gould. My goal as your teacher is to present music in a way that is fun and engaging. I have an innovative approach to understanding music and I enjoy tailoring this approach to each individual student. I do this by utilizing popular method books, by using examples from your school music, and by creating worksheets customized just for you. I can take a beginning student through intermediate and advanced levels, or take an advanced student into the world of professional musicianship. I believe the key to success in music lies in forming proper habits. Whether your goal is to become a pro musician or to just have fun playing music, I offer a supportive and enlightening environment to encourage your personal development.
Biography
Multi-woodwindist Gary Gould developed his passion for performing and teaching over a long and successful career in music. He holds a masters degree in Music and has performed throughout the United States, Western Europe and Japan, as well as aboard cruise ships to Mexico, Alaska, and the Caribbean Islands. As an instructor, he has won top awards conducting bands at the high school, college, and community level. Currently, Gould writes and performs educational presentations to audiences of all ages on a variety of subjects including: Folk Music from Around the World, Beginning Your Career in the Arts, Improvisation for Jazz and Classical Music, and Practicing for Success.
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan & Scottsdale, Arizona
Musical Background: I began as a drummer in a Michigan elementary school and began taking private lessons right away. In middle school I heard my band director play the saxophone and loved the sound so much that I decided to take it up, with him as my private sax teacher. In high school I took private lessons that taught me to improvise jazz on saxophone, clarinet and flute, and I received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award... twice. I attended college on a music scholarship and in my final year was awarded Most Outstanding Jazz Musician. After college graduation, a saxophone contest was held by a radio station in Los Angeles and, out of hundreds of participants, I won first place. This opened the door to a career in music and I have performed ever since booked by some of the largest entertainment agencies in Los Angeles. My music career is all due to the guidance of fine teachers and I am now honored to guide my students on their own musical journeys.
School: California State University, Fullerton
Years Teaching: I've been teaching for 15-plus years, including speaking at educational conferences, music festivals and clinics, and leading bands at the Orange County School of the Arts, Irvine Valley College, Cal State Fullerton, and as Concert Master for the Laguna Concert Band.
Hobbies: I play several instruments and styles from around the world. The instruments include: soprano, alto, C Melody, tenor, and baritone saxophones; soprano, alto, and bass clarinet; silver flute, bansuri, ocarina, and penny whistles; and the world's first electronic instrument, the theremin. The musical styles include: classical, jazz, pop, rock, klezmer, Celtic, Brazilian choro, Hindustani, Dixieland, the Great American Songbook, and early American folksongs. I draw upon all of this when I teach, and I am always searching for interesting new ways to explore and perceive music.