Teaching Approach

Seth Trachy has eight years of experience teaching woodwinds and improvisation to students of all ages and skill levels.  As a clinician, he has done numerous workshops on small group improvisation at the high school and middle school level.  Lessons are approached with the idea that each student is unique in their interests, goals, and comprehension.  For those students with clear goals in mind, lessons will be geared towards accomplishing those goals while establishing a strong foundation in the fundamentals of technique, theory and ear training.  For those students without clear goals or interests lessons are structured towards establishing a strong foundation as well as discovering an aspect of music that generates interest in the student. Students can pursue musical interests as diverse as playing Beatles songs on the flute, classical repertoire on the clarinet, or jazz improvisation on the sax.

Bio

Seth grew up on a farm in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains spent his childhood exploring the Appalachian wilderness absorbing the soulful sounds of his father's record collection, including artists such as Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. Attending high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Trachy co-lead the group Quantum, which received recognition in the Downbeat student music awards and performed internationally.

Seth relocated to New Jersey in 2000 to study on full scholarship at William Patterson University for two years before completing a B.F.A at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. He has studied with Miguel Zenon, George Garzone, Armen Donelian, and Eddie Salkin. In addition to studying jazz, Trachy has studied Indian Classical music at the Ustad Alik Akbar Khan School of Music in San Rafael, California.  Noteworthy performances include venues such as the Kennedy Center and Ravinia Jazz Festival.  He has performed and recorded with musicians such as Kenny Werner, Dave Douglas, and Clarence Penn.

Seth playing at the Kennedy Center



Testimonials

"Seth is very helpful.  He is also nice, and he is so sweet.  Helpful, nice, great@flute!  Seth can open your eyes to show you that music is overwhelming-in a good way!  He makes you feel confident when you leave your lesson.  My mom thinks Seth is great! Thank you Seth"

Samantha G age 9 1/2

"The above says it all!  My daughter's enthusiasm for music and the flute is great to see.  Thank you Seth!"

Samantha's Mom

"Seth Trachy's clinic was on the mark.  We had students from a variety of levels and backgrounds and Seth's session played to all levels of saxophone expertise.  He was very perceptive of each student's individual ability and gave each student something to build on.  The improvisation session hit on all the creative aspects of improv including developing ideas and phrasing.  His musicianship and professionalism were very apparent.  It was truly an OUTSTANDING session!"

Phil Wyatt
WV Jazz Society
Retired band director

"I was very impressed by Russell’s and Seth’s professionalism when they worked with my high school jazz students. As a team they not only provided great insights for my young jazz enthusiasts but also set a fine example of how professional jazz musicians interact within the community. Their love of what they do came shining through and my kids were both amazed and inspired. We’ve got to get them back here!"

Robert C. Hunter
Band Director
Enloe High School


"Being a high school teacher, it’s a special treat to have a former student come back and share what they’ve learned with the students. Seth and his group are outstanding musicians. Their clinic gave our kids a great opportunity to hear high level professional musicians while also giving students the chance to ask questions about all aspects of performance. It’s rare to get an opportunity to work with musicians of this caliber."

Ric Munsey
Band Director
Grayson County High School