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Photo by Francis Scanlon

Jonathan has been actively involved in the field of music-education since 2009, and has served as private instructor, ensemble coach and lecturer within public school, private school, charter school, and university environments. He has been an employee of many New York-based music-education programs such as the Afro-Latin Jazz Academy, The Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York, New York Ensemble Classes, the Lyceum Kennedy International School, Jubilee Enrichment Programs, Jazz Empowers and the New York Jazz Academy. He has been a part of international educational-outreach in places like Costa Rica, Australia and Canada, and has served as an instructor for the University of Colorado Boulder, where he taught jazz ensembles and a 100+ student Jazz History lecture course. He has been teaching privately for over a decade, has accumulated nearly 50 5-star Yelp/Google reviews and multiple awards and competitive accolades for his educational prowess. His home studio on the upper east side is complete with weighted 88-key digital piano, a high-quality Bose speaker system, professional audio and video recording equipment, as well as musical media and sheet music spanning many musical genres, cultures and time periods. Jonathan specializes in the following areas of applied musical study: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Improvisation, Jazz Improvisation, Composition/Songwriting, Arranging, Music Theory, Sight Reading, Ear Training, Music Appreciation, and Music History (includes classical, jazz, and world musics).

SPECIALTIES

  Jonathan specializes in the following musical instruments, crafts, and fields of study:

 

•    Jazz improvisation, creative flow, and vocabulary development
•    Trumpet fundamentals: tone production, range, articulation, air control, posture, and extended techniques
•    Applied theory: harmony, melodic construction, chord study, and harmonic movement
•    Ear training, sight reading, and transcription
•    Breath work, physical energy, and the science of musculature
•    Musical phrasing, rhythm, and use of space
•    Solo structure, patterns, fragments, and shapes
•    Music history, repertoire, and memorization strategies
•    Composition and arranging
•    Technical and mental approaches to performance, including emotional control and presence
•    Ensemble rehearsal strategies and section-specific work (including trumpet/brass sectionals)
•    Bridging academic study with real-world readiness: etiquette, professionalism, and stylistic fluency

SERVICES

 

PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

- offered to individuals only

- offered to musicians of any instrument/medium

- lessons can be held in person or via a video chat interface

GROUP INSTRUCTION

- offered to parties of 2-10

- offered to players of any instrument

- lessons can be held in person

MASTER CLASS OR CLINIC

- offered to parties of 11 or more

- offered to players of any instrument

- lessons can be held in person

ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS

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2025 Jazz Education Network Annual Conference Selected Presenter
Dr. Jonathan Saraga D.M.A. Diploma
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2020 Association for Popular Music Education Conference Selected Presenter
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People Love Jonathan Saraga on Yelp
2020 International Society for Improvised Music Conference Selected Presenter
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Copyright © 2025 Dr. Jonathan Saraga
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