Teaching & Educational Work

Dr Alder has over 25 years of experience teaching clarinet, bass clarinet, and saxophone in one-to-one and group lessons for students of all ages and levels. He has taught privately, at music schools, in primary and secondary school curriculum, and has lectured or given masterclasses at the higher education level, including:

Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Conservatory Ghent, California State University, Furman University, Michigan State University, Arizona State University, Truman State University, Glendale Community College, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Tampa, University of Wisconsin, Low Clarinet Festival

He has also mentored young musicians for the charity Future Talent and given workshops for adults at Dawkes Music and Benslow Music Trust.

Former students have ranged in age from 7 to 75, including absolute beginners, advanced high school students, adults who simply wanted to jam with friends, professionals on other instruments seeking to double on clarinet, theatermakers aiming to add another element to their performances, and conservatory-trained or professional clarinetists interested in extended techniques and contemporary performance practice.

To schedule a lesson, please get in touch through one of the means on the CONTACT page.

Dr Alder teaching

Lessons

Regularly recurring Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and Saxophone lessons

Available Online or In Person in the London, UK area.

  • Available for all ages and levels
  • Focus on technique, musicianship, and becoming a better well-rounded player
  • Traditional and contemporary repertoire
  • Jazz and improvisation
  • World and folk music

Lessons are tailored to the student's needs. The most important goal is the enjoyment of music and playing, whether that's through the ABRSM grading system or just learning to play for fun, and whether it's classical, jazz, pop, or folk music.

TO SCHEDULE A LESSON, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

Advanced Lessons, Masterclasses & Workshops

For Advanced Players and Educational Institutions

Individual lessons, masterclasses, and workshops are available in:

  • Contemporary Performance Practice — Approaching and understanding contemporary music and its performance
  • Extended clarinet & bass clarinet techniques — Multiphonics, slap tonguing, circular breathing, quarter tones, etc.
  • Creative Improvisation — Non-Idiomatic Improvisation for Classical Players
  • Advanced Rhythm – Using Karnatic rhythmic theory in Western Music (see below)
  • Live Electronics — Getting started, using various software, hardware, MIDI, Max/MSP programming, etc.
  • Recording techniques — Microphones, editing, mixing, DAWs

TO SCHEDULE A LESSON, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

Karnatic Rhythms

Jason has recently started a series of video lessons teaching: Advanced Rhythm :: Applying Karnatic Rhythmical Techniques to Western Music. Based on the methodology developed by Rafael Reina in his book.

This video discusses the use of applying Karnatic rhythmical techniques to Western music. To read this lesson instead, please go to: Lesson 1 — Beat subdivision (gatis) and odd-tuplet phrasing . This lesson explains some of the fundamentals of Karnatic music — gatis, or beat subdivision, from duple (eighth notes) up to nonuplets (9-tuplet).

You can watch Lesson 1 here, and if you wish to have personal lessons or workshops for you or your own students, please CONTACT ME.

Reviews

“(5/5): Jason is a very good Saxophone teacher. He teaches in a relaxed way which sets the right environment for learning and he has a keen eye for spotting exactly what I am doing wrong and then using examples and easy illustrations to help me to understand my mistakes and correct them with immediate improvements to my sound and feel ...he is there to help me to learn the things that I want to learn as well as the things he wants to teach me. I recommend Jason very highly to anyone who would like to learn the Saxophone with a friendly, relaxed but very highly qualified and knowledgeable teacher who is also an accomplished musician.”
— Peter D

“(5/5): I was a complete novice with the tenor sax and bass clarinet, Jason is an excellent teacher and I am progressing fairly quick, I very much look forward to each lesson, he is a true artist. I am now starting to learn the alto flute with Jason.”
— Stuart P

“(5/5): very patient and understanding … a great sax teacher who i’m very happy to recommend”
— Rob R

“(5/5): I enjoy my saxophone lessons with Jason. He gives me very useful focussed feedback on my playing and tips on how to practice more effectively. I have been having lessons with Jason for more than 5 years and we have covered reading music, rhythm, tone and improvisation.”
— Esther T

“(5/5): As well as being an expert performer, Jason has a very wide musical knowledge, and has constructive comments and suggestions not just in my lessons, but also in any other musical queries I bring, from Balkan music to early recorder music to dulcimer tuning. Above all, the lessons are most enjoyable.”
— Wendy K

“Dr. Alder is a performer with immense passion and expertise when it comes to everything low clarinet.
Last January, he spent a week in residence at the University of South Florida, where students were able to partake in master classes and hear the extensive research that he has done on the contrabass clarinet. The students and I were also impressed with his playing and his skill with extended technique’s on the bass clarinet and contra bass clarinet.”
— C. Falwell, University of South Florida