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GRAMMY®-Winning Trumpeter, Composer & Doctor of Musical Arts
Jonathan S.

5.0 (35 ratings)

99 hours tutoring

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About Jonathan

Bio

My name is Jonathan Saraga and I'm a GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, arranger, educator and Doctor of Musical Arts based out of New York City.

I have been working as a performing/recording artist for 2 decades as well as private teacher, ensemble coach, clinician and lecturer within public school, private school, charter school and university environments for the past 15 years. I appear on over 40 studio recordings, in over 250 YouTube videos, and have engaged with...

My name is Jonathan Saraga and I'm a GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, arranger, educator and Doctor of Musical Arts based out of New York City.

I have been working as a performing/recording artist for 2 decades as well as private teacher, ensemble coach, clinician and lecturer within public school, private school, charter school and university environments for the past 15 years. I appear on over 40 studio recordings, in over 250 YouTube videos, and have engaged with audiences in over 500 cities, nearly 70 countries and just short of 100 different universities world-wide.

Over the course of 25 years of musical training, I've earned 3 Trumpet Performance/Jazz Studies degrees, and have been recognized 35 times in the form competitive selections from 25 national and international organizations, and have performed throughout Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Asia and the U.S. via multiple national tours, and have been employed by dozens of GRAMMY®-nominated and/or winning artists.

Since 2010, I have been teaching all-level/all-age music playing and appreciation courses for a host of New York City-based organizations, including 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. I also served as a Graduate Part-Time Instructor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where I taught multiple ensembles as well as three semesters of a 100+ student History of Jazz History lecture class. I've even been a part of international educational outreach engagements in places like Costa Rica, Australia and Canada.

My private studio has been active since 2011 and has garnered 5-Star ratings on Yelp (47 Reviews) and Google (21 Reviews), as well as 2 “People Love us on Yelp" awards, a Lessons.com "Top Pro" award, a “Best of Tuturs.com” award and a "We're Highly Recommended by Locals on Alignable" award.

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Education

SUNY Purchase
Music
University of Colorado, Boulder
PhD
SUNY Purchase
Masters

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Approved Subjects

Composition (Music)

Composition (Music)

Since 2007 I’ve composed, arranged, published, performed and/or recorded 25 original jazz compositions, 14 of them having been featured on albums for multiple record labels. My music has been performed at acclaimed New York City jazz clubs such as the Iridium, Seeds Brooklyn, Cornelia St. Café, The Bar Next Door, Jazz at the Kitano, Shapeshifter Lab and Smalls Jazz Club to name a few, as well as at the first ever Caribbean International Jazz Fest in Les Cayes, Haiti. It has been featured on NPR radio programs around the U.S., has received high-level reviews from international jazz publications, and has been showcased by universities and acclaimed musical ensembles from around the world. I’ve received 15 awards over the past decade for my songwriting/composition abilities, including selection for the 2011 School for Improvisational Music Summer Intensive Program, selection for the 2015 Banff International Summer Intensive Program in Jazz and Creative Music, recipient of the 2016 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, 5 Semi-Finalist selections and 1 Honorable-Mention selection in the 2016/17 International Songwriting Competitions (among 2% of 16,000 entries), selection for the 2019 Banff Early Fall Musicians in Residence program, selection for the 2020/21 BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, selection for the 2021 Chashama chaNorth Artist in Residence program, finalist status in the 2019 Chamber Music America New Jazz Work's grant competition, finalist status in the 2021 Haleakala National Park Artist in Residence program, waitlist status for the 2021 Millay Colony of the Art’s Core Residency program, and semi-finalist statues in the 2021 Unsigned Only Music Competition (among 12% of 10,000 entries).
Ear Training

Ear Training

The process of composing, performing and even understanding music is hugely influenced by how much time we have spent listening to and analyzing what we hear. Over the course of the 2 decades and 30,000+ hours, I've acquired relative perfect pitch, and the ability to identify notes, intervals, chords and virtually all types of auditory musical information at an expert level. Not only did I excel in multiple ear-training specific courses during my 6 years of conservatory training, I have been able to apply that knowledge practically and have earned 31 international musical awards over the course of my career thus far, some for musical performance and others for musical composition/arranging. I've earned Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees all with concentrations in musical performance and I've been performing, recording and teaching internationally as a trumpeter based out of New York City for over a decade.
General Music

General Music

I have been working as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and studio musician for almost 2 decades and have been teaching full-time for the past 7, which includes nearly 3 at the University level. I have nearly 10 years of conservatory training, a Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degree, as well as over 20 years experience performing, recording, and competing on an international level. I appear on over 30 albums, over 180 YouTube videos, and my original music has received awards from over 20 internationally acclaimed organizations. I hold 3 degrees in music, including a doctorate, and have served nearly 400 people via educational outreach.
Music History

Music History

Over the 15+ years that I have been studying and concentrating on music and music performance, I have been exposed to numerous composers, performers, and cultures that have shared their passion for music with the world. From Gregorian Chants, to the Baroque period, to modern classical and beyond, there have been hundreds upon hundreds of musicians that have contributed their creativity and skills to the sea of music we know of today. It has been my interest to find the links between individual artists and time periods of music writing and performance in order to better know where music comes from, and how it has changed over time. I have been researching the roots and origins of musical genres and styles throughout the world, to further enhance my own abilities as a musician. It is always fascinating to discover new musicians, recordings, and material that has not been touched or seen, as well as study, dissect, and analyze the works of popular composers. All the perspectives realized from these studies will lend to your own creative palette as a musician. I look for these opportunities daily, in hopes of relating to what I already know, to further create the web of music history that I can use and share with others. For the past 4 years I have been doing just that, and I would love to continue with you.
Music Theory

Music Theory

I have spent half my life so far studying the science and the math behind sound, and how to hear and notate sound to express thoughts, feelings, and intellectual ideas. I've applied this knowledge in my work as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and studio musician based out of New York City for over 10 years, and as an educator for the past 7, which includes nearly 3 at the University level. Not only did I excel in multiple music theory specific courses during my 9 years of higher education, I have been able to apply that knowledge practically and earn 31 international musical awards over the course of my career, some for musical performance and others for musical composition.
Songwriting

Songwriting

Since 2007, I have composed, arranged, published, performed and recorded over 20 small group jazz compositions, 14 of them having been featured on albums for multiple record labels. I've also written 3 larger works arranged for jazz orchestra, as well as a 50-minute suite in 7 movements scored for 12-piece chamber jazz ensemble. My original music secured me semi-finalist status in the International Songwriting Competition 2 years in a row, as well as one finalist/honorable mention selection (1% out of a pool of 30,000 entries). It's earned me participation in 3 internationally selective programs (the School for Improvisational Music's Summer Intensive and the Banff Center's Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music as well as it's Artist in Residence Program). I have also been among 19 up-and-coming jazz composers selected from a global pool to receive a Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award presented by ASCAP as well as among 16 to receive a commission from the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers.
Trumpet

Trumpet

Out of the 30,000+ hours I've invested into my musical practice over the past 2 decades, the majority has been devoted specifically to trumpet playing. I've earned Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees all with concentrations in Trumpet Performance and I've been performing, recording and teaching internationally as a trumpeter based out of New York City for over a decade. My trumpet playing has appeared on 30 albums, 230 YouTube videos and live on stage with hundreds of highly-acclaimed artists from across the globe. It's earned me high standing in 7 trumpet-based competitions: 1st place in the 2007 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Solo Competition, finalist status in the 2009 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, finalist status in 2014 Juilliard Artist Diploma program, finalist status in the 2020 Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra's 4th Trumpet Vacancy, finalist status in the 2021 U.S. Navy Band Commodores' Jazz Trumpet Vacancy, and recipient of 2020 & 2021 Downbeat Student Music Awards. It's also allowed me the opportunity to pursue and earn my Doctor of Musical Arts degree with full-scholarship, plus paid assistantship.
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Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (35 ratings)
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Reviews

My review of Jonathan

I just started learning how to play trumpet. And, I tried to self-learn a bit from 'how-to' videos on youtube but I always felt like I was doing something wrong. For starter, my trumpet pistons were not installed in the correct position. Jonathan pointed out that I might want to check that, and he was right. As soon as I fixed that, I started to sound a little better. So props to Jonathan for that. There are. a lot of new things Jonathan taught me that I couldn't learn from just watching youtube videos. Jonathan correctly diagnosed what i am doing wrong, and gave me the better/efficient ways to play the trumpet. I strongly believe that the practice routines Jonathan assigned specifically for me will accelerate my learning process. I've already seen a noticeable improvement for myself, and I really feel like I am in good hands, so to speak. He is also very passionate about teaching. With Jonathan, I felt like not a single minute in my 60-min session was wasted because everything Jonathan said was very helpful and inspiring for me. This is my review of Jonathan, and I highly recommend him!!!

Samuel, 9 lessons with Jonathan

Supportive Teaching From a Professional Musician

I've been taking lessons with Jonathan over the course of a few months now, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon. Right from the start, he was extremely receptive and enthusiastic towards my goals as a trumpet player and musician. With a few probing questions, he was able to discern my level of playing, and we were immediately able to get to work. Each lesson with Jonathan provides in-depth discussions on technique and theory, and their application in developing my own musical voice. As a teacher, Jonathan is incredibly supportive and patient. He always takes time to ensure I'm feeling comfortable with the concepts we discuss and work on. As a result, I'm appropriately challenged and leave feeling I've become a better musician and player. As a musician, well, just listen to his works and you'll understand how high a level he's at. I feel I could throw anything at him, and he'd be able to play it. His level of mastery, of course, inspires me, but I also feel comfortable in coming to him with questions about the many aspects of playing and performing music. All in all, I can't share enough how impactful these lessons have been towards my growth as a musician. I highly recommend Jonathan to anyone wanting to further their skills.

Riley, 12 lessons with Jonathan

Great first lesson

Jonathan and I started out by chatting about some of my perceived playing issues and goals and then moved into him listening to me play by giving me some exercises to do that helped him hear things. He seemed to immediately know what to do, is obviously an experienced teacher and I look forward to more lessons with him. 🙂

Haidee, 1 lesson with Jonathan

Great tutor

Had a great lesson with Jonathan! He was able to break down complicated concepts into small and easy pieces and this way we were able to achieve a lot.

Amit, 2 lessons with Jonathan
Hourly Rate: $80
Response time: 18 minutes
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