Eric MacTaggart
About
I received my bachelor of trombone performance and music education degree from the University of Iowa in 2009, studying with Dr. David Gier, Dr. Joshua Bynum, and Mr. Nathan LeFeber. I have more than five years of music education experience in the public school setting, serving primarily as a middle and high school band director in the West Jefferson School District (Idaho) and Durand School District (Wisconsin). In both positions, I regularly taught individual and small group lessons to strengthen the band program. I have also had the opportunity to guest conduct the University of Kent Concert Band (United Kingdom) and a high school honor band in Wisconsin. In all of these settings, I have enjoyed sharing my passion for music with students and helping them to appreciate music and the arts on a deeper level.
In addition to my teaching, I have had the opportunity to perform as a trombonist with a wide variety of groups. At the University of Iowa, I performed at Carnegie Hall with the Symphony Band and performed with the Johnson County Landmark Jazz Band on Tim O'Dell's Dreams of Pangaea (2009). More recently, I have been a contributing musician on several rock recordings with Poison Control Center and The Limbos, and have performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra and Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra.
As a person who has taught and performed in a variety of settings, I aim to share my passion for a variety of styles of music, exposing students to music that they may not be familiar with. Along with selecting a variety of music that will challenge the student musically, I often compose etudes to cater to each students' particular weaknesses/needs. In general, I think it's important to develop reflective musicians, as these skills are not only important in music but life in general.
Master Educator Certificate - State of Iowa
Method books for beginners:
Standards of Excellence
Essential Elements
Literature for more advanced students:
Trombone/Euphonium: Rubank method books, Arban method book, Rochut's Melodious Etudes, and others.
Trumpet: Arban method book, Clarke's Technical Studies For Cornet/Trumpet, and others.
Depending on the student's goals, I would also assign various exercises and solos.