Experienced Brass Tutor based in East London delivering Trumpet/Trombone/Jazz Improvisation tuition at all levels tailored to your individual needs.

Find out more about Evan

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  My parents were always listening to music around the house and encouraged me to take up music lessons as a child. My sister already played the piano so I decided to learn the trumpet as I didn't want to be in direct competition with her!

• Is there a particular type music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I love the music of Clifford Brown. The way he approaches improvising always surprises me. I also love his album with strings, the way he phrases melody is incredible.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  I had a student who I prepared for her audition for a Masters Degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (she got in!). I prepared her by giving her exercises in learning repertoire, internalising chord changes, improvising descriptively and accurately on the repertoire she had chosen. I gave her lots of constructive criticism so that she went away from each lesson with plenty to practice and gave her a well-structured practice routine. This is probably the most intense and high level course I have taught with a pressured deadline. She is now a professional musician making waves on the music scene.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  They are all equally difficult to master. It's all about putting practice time and gaining experience performing and playing with other musicians. Starting the piano you will make a clearer sounding note at the beginning than a trumpet or a violin but learning to play a complicated piece of music is very difficult. The drums are easy to hit at the beginning but playing complex rhythms is difficult to master. You could probably master the song 'Hot Cross Buns' within an hour of picking up a trumpet but developing a clear tone and solid technique takes years of practice. All instruments are difficult to master and have their own struggles.

• What are your keys to success?

  Patience, reliability, punctuality, preparation, consistency, communication, hard work, dedication.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, and Charlie Parker (Unfortunately none of my three are alive today). These are three musicians who have influenced me a lot over the years. I'd ask them about their philosophies on music and life, how they practice music, their difficulties with their instruments and how they overcome them and inspirational stories on gigs. I often read autobiographies of musicians to find out these sort of details and I often recommend them to my students.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  I was developing a lot in jazz improvisation at music college during my studies but found that when performing on gigs I couldn't project much volume out of the instrument and my stamina was not great. I'd get to the end of a 45 minute set and be physically tired around my embouchure with tightness around the lips. The head of brass at my college saw me play and enjoyed what I was doing but noticed I had some technical issues that were blocking me from being able to perform well for longer. He offered me a free lesson which I took him up on. During the lesson he gave me a series of breathing exercises to get me using more air in my playing rather than relying on lip pressure. I did them over a few years and when it clicked I found that I developed a huge range of volume, a much bigger sound and could last for hours on the stage without getting tired. This method let my air do the talking and took a lot of pressure off my lips. I find that my students often run in to these sort of technical problems so often use this method to help them reach their full technical potential.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I provide a tailored bespoke programme to each of my students based on their strengths and weaknesses. I listen to the musical tastes of my students and often prepare repertoire and exercises that I think will be appropriate in helping them achieve their short and long term goals. My aim is to ignite passion in my students for music making whilst teaching them the discipline needed to become a good musician. I find that preparation goes a long way and my students really appreciate it. I always try to make my lessons positive and encouraging so that they feel uplifted by their music lessons despite learning an instrument being a long process and not easy. My aim for my lessons is to make my students feel that they can master the instrument with hard work and dedication and give them the tools to do so.