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Services
Clarinet Lessons
One-on-one lesssons for clarinet students of all ages, online or in person. Clarinet lessons offer personalized instruction to help students master the art of playing the clarinet. Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an advanced player aiming to refine your technique, these lessons provide expert guidance on breath control, finger positioning, reading music, and tone production. With a focus on both classical and contemporary styles, clarinet lessons are tailored to suit individual goals, helping students develop their skills, build confidence, and enjoy the beauty of music.
Beginner Video Recording & Editing Lessons
Beginner Video Recording & Editing Lessons are designed to introduce new creators to the world of video production. These lessons cover the essentials of shooting high-quality video, understanding camera settings, and basic editing techniques using user-friendly software. Students will learn how to capture clear, engaging footage, edit with ease, and add special effects, transitions, and audio to create polished videos. Perfect for beginners, these lessons provide a hands-on approach to building foundational skills for personal or professional video projects.
Performances
Performances offer live, captivating musical experiences tailored to a variety of events and settings. Whether for educational settings, corporate functions, or non-traditional performance spaces, Ethan's performances bring the magic of live music to any occasion.
Chamber Coachings
Chamber Coachings provide specialized guidance to enhance performance in small ensemble settings. These sessions focus on developing essential skills such as blend, balance, communication, and interpretation within a chamber group. Ethan's coachings emphasizes dynamics, phrasing, and ensemble cohesion, helping musicians refine their individual technique while contributing to the collective sound. Perfect for those seeking to excel in duos, trios, quartets, and other small ensemble settings, chamber coachings foster both technical growth and artistic expression.
Masterclasses
Clarinet masterclasses offer advanced players the opportunity to refine their technique and artistry under the guidance of Ethan's instruction. These sessions focus on in-depth musical analysis, interpretation, and performance skills, with constructive feedback on tone production, articulation, and phrasing. Masterclasses provide a collaborative learning environment, where participants can observe and engage with fellow musicians, gaining valuable insights to elevate their playing. Ideal for clarinetists looking to challenge themselves and push their boundaries, masterclasses inspire both technical mastery and creative expression.
Ethan's Teaching Philosophy:
Ethan's Teaching Philosophy:
It is my belief that all people can learn music and should be given a space to do so. As a private teacher, I work to give students a supportive, flexible, and inspiring environment, focusing on guiding them through the formation of key fundamental skills and building an individualized plan together. Taking lessons should be a collaborative effort for both parties, with my role being to convey concepts and solidify good habits, and the student’s role being to communicate their goals and interests. It is a core principle of mine that musicians should be given a safe place to experiment freely with their music without fear of judgement. Creating healthy mindsets for getting outside of one’s comfort zone is a vital part of the music-making process as well. Students partaking in lessons with me will become well-rounded instrumentalists by developing healthy practice habits, improving their fundamentals, and learning to pursue musicality in whatever way helps to highlight their own individual identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
Ethan's Education Experience:
Ethan's Education Experience:
Ethan earned a Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance from Central Michigan University in 2018, earning themselves the principal position of their Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble for several years, as well as the pianist position in Jazz Lab 1 and other small ensembles. At CMU, Ethan fostered a love for the Balkan-Klezmer style, joining and eventually leading a massive band that performed around Michigan and recorded three albums in total. They also developed a love for conducting, co-leading two string orchestras, taking lessons from wind and string faculty, and at times getting to work with the CMU Symphony Orchestra.
In 2020, Ethan completed a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from the University of Oklahoma, using the time to not only improve their teaching and performance styles, but to work as clarinetist/bass clarinetist in new music ensembles, reed quintets, and other chamber groups. Ethan was also the principal clarinetist of the OU Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra, continuing to expand their knowledge of instrumental repertoire. They continued to refine their conducting experience by working with several faculty at OU, as well as one of the community bands in the area.
In 2024, Ethan finished their collegiate chapter by obtaining a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet from Michigan State University. During their DMA studies, they focused on cultivating a love for research in the field, developing their lecture topic focused on studying compositional styles outside of clarinet repertoire, and how it can inform interpretations of clarinet works. Ethan performed regularly with the MSU Wind Symphony, clarinet choir, and several reed quintets/small chamber groups. They also took time to pursue teaching undergraduate students wherever applicable, through chamber coaching, one-on-one lessons, and more.
Testimonials:
Testimonials:
“Dr. Hicks has been so much fun to work with this last semester. Our daughter has sounded more confident than ever in her playing, and we have loved watching her progress with each lesson.” -Parent of Online High School Student, 2025
“Ethan is great to work with! I really enjoy that we get to learn music that I like in addition to what they pick out for me.” -Online High School Student, 2025
“Learning from Ethan in lessons is just as fun as learning from them in marching band. I’ve really improved in my ensembles from taking lessons with them.” -High School Student, 2025
“Dr. Hicks showed me that playing clarinet doesn’t have to be scary. I’ve gotten better in band from lessons and I’ll miss taking lessons next year.” -Middle School Student, 2025
“Ethan has been a big help with learning to record and edit my music/videos. Their knowledge in Audacity and DaVinci Resolve gave me the tools I needed to dive deeper into making content.” -Work Colleague, 2025
“Learning from Ethan is a breeze! My comfort with new video editing software has expanded greatly since reaching out for a few short lessons.” -Online College Student, 2025
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