Former and Current Students and Testimonials
Caroline C.
Hello! My name is Caroline O’Callaghan and I am a music education student at Ithaca College! I was privileged enough to have been able to take private clarinet lessons with Erin starting my junior year of high school, and there is no experience in the world I would trade for it. Erin provided me the foundation, skill and perseverance to get to where I am today, and for that I could not be more grateful. I was able to proficiently play through all my scales and technique, prepare audition music and even play some fun duets! My time with Erin was the most enriching experience I had and I will never forget how much she has helped shape my life as not only a musician, but a person.
George N.
I cannot say enough amazing things about Erin Simmons. I started taking clarinet lessons with Erin through the years of 2015-2016 preparing for my final senior recital and Massachusetts All-State auditions. Starting with my senior recital, Erin couldn’t have prepared me better for what was to come. Erin had chosen compositions that would fit my style of playing, build my musicianship level, and challenge me to develop better fingering or musical techniques that would overall better me as a musician and clarinet player. Each week, Erin would go over scale memory, site reading, tone quality, and walk throughs of important compositions and other requirements for my recital. Erin was even able to direct me to a piano accompanist, whom of which was amazing to work with and aided me in my recital. I was getting better each week and had the honor of playing a duet with Erin as part of my recital. The recital was a complete success and I attribute this to Erin’s passion and dedication to seeing her students succeed to the highest degree.
Along with my recital, I also was under the tutelage of Erin for the Massachusetts All-State auditions. Erin knew this audition would take time and endless repetition of the material. With direct instruction from Erin, I was able learn the required composition fluidly and I fortunately received an acceptance to play for the Mass All-State concert band. I was able to perform with some of the most talented young musicians in the state, and again I give this credit to Erin for her relentless attention to detail and knowledge of the clarinet. All in all, it was an honor learning from such a knowledgeable and passionate teacher, and I developed vital skills as a clarinet player to take with me for the rest of my life..