Lessons for Sincere Musicians

internalization, personalization, embodiment

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”

―Mary Oliver

Saxophonists

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY A $1500 MOUTHPIECE TO SOUND BEAUTIFUL!!!

enrich your sound production (physical) and sound conception (imagination)

define and develope more “projection”, “presence”, and “power”

dial in appropriate resistance for a resonant, flexible, and supported tone

develop better breath support / tongue position / embouchure / articulation

explore of colors, textures, and timbres

learn the role of our equipment in our search for beauty

connect your ears to your horn

Improvisers

Whether STUDYING an established musical idiom or INNOVATING your own personal musical language, a visceral connection to musical resonance and creative flow is imperative.

connect your ears with your instrument

develop spontaneous ideas with clarity and intention

embody your phrasing

explore the elements of form from a creative mindset

Develop the confidence and skillset to sustain this flow in a room alone with your instrument

Elevate your collaborative potential, bringing depth and heightened sensitivity to any style or instrumentation.

A Few of My Recent Students

It is a great honor to steward sincere musicians along their personal paths.

Recent teaching positions (2023-present) include:

• Adjunct employment at Towson as the jazz saxophone and jazz composition instructor (Spring 2025),

• Three consecutive semesters as a guest lecturer at Peabody Conservatory (subbing for Warren Wolf’s improvisation classes and advanced private students)

• 2023-present at Baltimore School for the Arts

As crucial as this institutional work has been in connecting me with a scene of serious young music students…

I’ve spent 15+ years helping musicians (beginners…advanced…professionals…artists…) plunge into the deep end of their creative and technical pursuits in my home teaching studio.

Common Topics

Liminality

Resonance

Melodic Improvisation

Playing Alone / Playing Together

How to Compellingly Play by Ear

Sound CONCEPT and Sound PRODUCTION

The Myth of “Control” in Our Pursuit of Mastery

Lyrical Phrasing vs. Mechanical Phrasing

How to Play with Clarity and Conviction

What is a Musical Idea?

Form, Function, Flow

Embodiment

The Real Work

“It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.”

— Wendell Berry

Your Teacher:

Recent Credentials

Applied Jazz Saxophone & Jazz Composition @ Towson University // Spring ‘25

Saxophone instructor @ Baltimore School for the Arts // Jan 2023-present

Guest Lecturer @ Peabody Jazz // Sept 2023-Nov 2024

Short Biography

Baltimore-native Derrick Michaels is a tenor saxophonist and improviser with a deep sound and a bold, imaginative presence in the creative music community.

With roots in both the lyrical and exploratory branches of the creative saxophone tradition, his wide expressive palette brings a soulful, melodic sincerity to a wide range of musical environments. 

He has been described by Jazz Weekly as a “thick-toned tenorist”, and by Downbeat magazine as wielding a “large sound and free flowing style”. The Baltimore Jazz Alliance says: “Derrick Michaels' saxophone playing comes right out of his soul; the instrument sounds like a human voice.”

(CLICK HERE TO READ PERFORMANCE BIO)

MESSAGE FOR RATES

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”

—Margaret Mead