During his Bachelor of Music degree in Auckland New Zealand he learned off one of the masters of saxophone in the southern hemisphere, Roger Manins. Jimmy performed regularly with Auckland jump-jive band ‘Sal Valentine and the Baby Shakes’, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_4nYESy94o ) and with Auckland soul band ‘The Soul Pit’, and at various jazz festivals in the Auckland region with his group ‘The Gardeners’. In his second year he received a grant from the ADASTRA foundation which enabled him to receive tuition from one of Australia’s premier jazz saxophonists Jamie Oehliers and start building networks in Australia. Through his degree Jimmy taught group lessons at St Peters Intermediate, individual lessons at Lewis Eady Music School and privately, a broad base of experience teaching in different situations, with students at different levels, all who developed their skills and enthusiasm for music through their lessons with Jimmy.

Since arriving in Sydney earlier this year, Jimmy has been teaching at Macarthur Anglican School and at 5 Dock Music School. His lessons are relaxed and fun, with improvement seen every lesson. Beginner lessons focus on tone production and playing simple songs. Jimmy has developed a range of fun techniques to emphasise the importance of breath in saxophone, and will bring in songs chosen by the student or himself. A beginner saxophone book will be used to teach from also. Intermediate to advanced lessons will start to look at improvising and soloing – taught by using a mixture of theory and a lot of practical advice and concrete things to play, that can be immediately used to ‘solo’ or ‘jam’ with a play along track or a band.

If learning jazz and improvisation on saxophone or clarinet sounds like you, Jimmy would be a fantastic teacher for you. He is experienced, fun, relaxed, and very organised. He will be able to help you quickly attain instrument technique and learn the language of music.