Elana is a woodwind doubler and music teacher from New Jersey, United States. She specializes in all flutes, clarinets, saxophones and double reeds, with a focus on classical solo and chamber music.
« Part of my job as a teacher is to help my students improve their equipment to help them progress as musicians »
Elana teaches private lessons and coaches chamber music ensembles to students of all ages. Her studio of forty students is a mixture of beginning and intermediate students learning for fun, as well as advanced students looking for competition and audition preparation. Each year her students successfully audition for the New Jersey honors bands, local youth orchestras, school ensembles and music degree programs. Multiple studio recitals throughout the year offer students performance opportunities to share music with their community. Elana has experience teaching in elementary and middle school instrumental music programs in addition to being the assistant festival director for the Mid Atlantic Music Teachers Guild Student Music Festival. She is a guest clinician at local schools offering masterclasses in woodwind technique. Her masterclasses include: Articulation 101, Scales Bootcamp, Intro to Double Reeds and more!
« BG provides great support for all levels of students »
Elana received her Masters of Music in Multiple Woodwind Performance from New Jersey City University, where she completed a Graduate Assistantship. Her thesis on supplemental methods for woodwind pedagogy led her into pursuing a career as a private music teacher. During her time at NJCU she performed soprano and E-flat clarinet with the Symphony of Winds and Percussion, flute, soprano saxophone and alto saxophone with the New Jersey City University Jazz Ensemble and various woodwinds in chamber ensembles including clarinet choir, super sax quintet, and more. Her Bachelors of Music in Music Education is from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Elana performed bassoon, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet with the Rutgers Symphony Band; clarinet, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet with the Rutgers Wind Ensemble; bassoon in the Baccoustics Bassoon Ensemble and in various woodwind chamber ensembles. In the Summer of 2019, Elana performed flute, clarinet and saxophone in Sarteano Italy, at the Summer Music in Tuscany chamber music festival.
« I appreciate the fact that BG straps offer many options in terms of size and material, making them accessible to even my youngest or smallest students »
Elana performs and arranges music for her flute and guitar duo, and woodwind doubling quartet. She frequently performs with local community bands and orchestras. You can see her performances on Youtube and social media. In addition to teaching and performing, Elana works at an instrument repair shop and is pursuing her interest in woodwind instrument repair.
Elana uses the BG Tradition Ligature in gold for clarinet, bass clarinet and all saxophones, as well as BG pull swabs for all woodwind instruments, BG neck straps for clarinet and saxophone, and the BG reed performer.
