CLARINET: During clarinet lessons students learn all aspects of technique and musicianship to master an instrument. From the very beginning of putting it together, holding without causing tension/posture to clarinet technique, sound development, breath control, reading music, improvisation, music theory, rhythm reading and ear training and more.
SAXOPHONE: Beginning students start with the fundamentals of playing saxophone, such as learning efficient breathing and air stream. Advanced students continue to progress in their saxophone lessons with gradually challenging exercises, developing an even tone, and learning correct hand and finger positioning, while learning more significant saxophone repertoire. Saxophone lessons include theory, ear training, sight-reading, technique, and history.
Patrick Ware-Medina grew up in Spokane, Washington where he started playing saxophone at the age of 8. By high school, Patrick was performing professionally throughout the Pacific Northwest and further expanded his creative outlets by picking up the piano, flute, clarinet, and percussion. It was also at this time that he began studying at Cornish College of the Arts with the great Hadley Caliman, former tenor saxophonist with Freddie Hubbard’s band and Carlos Santana.
In his senior year of high school, he was awarded the highest possible Berklee Entering Student Talent scholarship where the began his collegiate studies the following year. At Berklee Patrick had the honor to study and perform with some of the greatest names in jazz including Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Greg Osby, Bill Pierce, and George Garzone. In his four years at Berklee, Patrick was awarded additional
scholarships including the Berklee Achievement Scholarship, Woodwind Achievement Award, and his department's highest accolade the Charlie Parker Scholarship.
Based on a referral by his saxophone mentor George Garzone, Patrick received a scholarship to pursue a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from New York University where he formed close bonds with Grammy Winner Brian Lynch and Saxophonist Lenny Pickett (Tower of Power and band-leader of NBC’s Saturday Night Live SNL) and where he was later hired as faculty.
Over the past two decades, Patrick has shared the stage and recorded with Grammy Award Winners Daniel Platzman (Imagine Dragons), Ted Nash (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Brian Lynch (Art Blakey/Gloria Estephan), Ernie Watts (the Rolling Stones), and Eddie Palmieri; as well as members of the Clayton- Hamilton Orchestra, Wayne Krantz, and Kenny Werner.
In September, 2015 Patrick relocated to Denver, Colorado where he is continuing his career as both a performer and educator. He can be seen performing at Dazzle and was the featured soloist for Kantorei’s 20th anniversary concert series. His student’s are regular members of All County and All State bands, have performed at the Montreux Jazz festival and have gone on to study at Berklee and many other prestigious colleges.
Music has allways been a part of my life. I was born into a family that music was important as part of life. My mom played the piano and would play something -- lets say a waltz and we kids would waltz around the room, or she would play a march and we would go marching around. Mom was teaching the neighborhood kids piano and my older sister wanted to learn, so she started to teach her and as I got old enough, began to teach me. We always sang in the children's choir at our church. When I got old enough to start the band or orchestra at school, I picked Clarinet--it was black and had a lot of keys on it. We always had lessons on our instrument of choice--consequently I was always top in the band. When we moved to Boulder I started to take lessons from the clarinet professor at the University. At the age of 14 or 1 I was playing in the University band at CU during the summer and attended the music camp the university had for middle school and high school kids. After High school, I attended school at CU in the College of Music as a music performance major playing both clarinet in the band and recorder in their early music group. After college I started teaching both clarinet and recorder.”
She currently lives in the mountains with her 2 birds, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a horse and a llama.
Zach Robarge recently moved to Denver from Massachusetts, where he worked professionally as a woodwind doubler and educator, specializing in saxophones, flute/piccolo, clarinets, and oboe. Zach holds a bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance and music education, a performance certificate in flute and oboe studies, and in the spring of 2022, Zach graduated with his masters in classical saxophone performance, all from The University of Massachusetts. Most recently, Zach
Robarge was the Artist in Residence at The University of Massachusetts where he taught as Professor of Saxophone, filling in for his teacher and mentor Jonathan Hulting-Cohen while they were on sabbatical.
In his ten years of private teaching at the Community Music School of Springfield, and in the Belchertown School District in Massachusetts, Zach worked with hundreds of different students ranging in ages from 2nd grade through adulthood on all saxophones, clarinets, flute and piccolo, oboe, bassoon, and piano. Zach’s students are regularly offered solo and leadership positions in their school bands, and accepted into Regional, District, and Honor Bands. He also taught several students who have been accepted into collegiate music programs such as the saxophone and clarinet studios at The University of Massachusetts, as well as the flute and saxophone studios at the Hart School of Music.
In addition to his teaching, Zach maintains a busy and varied performance schedule. He has performed extensively with theater companies such as Barrington Stage Co and the Berkshire Theatre Group, as well as The Valley Winds, an award-winning community wind band based out of the pioneer valley. He has also played in a wide array of jazz/popular music groups, and chamber groups including big bands, jazz combos, saxophone trios and quartets, reed quintets, and other mixed chamber ensembles.