Chris Salerno
ABOUT LESSONS
Are you interested in learning to play a musical instrument? Is your interest in learning how music functions by studying music theory? Is it your passion to analyze the form of music to gain a better understanding of how it is organized? Or, do you want to create your own music by studying how to compose, arrange, and orchestrate?
​
Whichever question pertains to you, all of the above will be incorporated into your lessons to produce the total musician. A musician benefits from having knowledge of each of these realms as part of their holistic music education.
For students wanting to learn to play an instrument, I first focus on developing a good tone and technique. This is accomplished through warm-up routines at the beginning of each lesson that zero in on mastering the idiosyncrasies of the instrument.
​
It's important to not only teach a student how to play their instrument, but to give them the tools with which they can analyze and deconstruct the music they play in order to understand it. During the second part of the lesson, I focus on a particular piece of music. We discuss the melody, its phrase structure, the implied harmonic structures and progression, its form, and finally how to determine the appropriate expressiveness.
​
By incorporating music theory (the study of how music works) as an important part of each lesson, I show students the purpose and function of each note in a piece of music.
​
By incorporating form and analysis (the study of how music is structured) as another important part of each lesson, I show students how to recognize contrasting sections in a piece of music. This informs and guides a student as they seek to master the architecture of musical forms.
​
Essentially, it is my mission to teach and develop the complete musician. Whether they are playing or listening to music, they will have the necessary tools to analyze and appreciate music on a deeper level.
​
Students who don't want to learn a musical instrument but just focus on learning music theory or how to write music are more than welcome!
WOODWINDS
flute
clarinet
oboe
saxophone
trumpet
french horn
trombone
baritone
tuba
music theory
composition
arranging
orchestration
BIO
Chris has been teaching for 18 years. He has taught music in public schools, private schools, and Liberty University, and most recently (and currently) as a private music teacher. He has taught general music, choir, band, orchestra, piano (privately and classes), sight-singing and ear training, and music theory. As a private music teacher, Chris teaches brass and woodwind instruments, composition, and music theory.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. There, he studied Euphonium with Roger Rocco, former principal tubist with the Honolulu and Seattle Symphony Orchestras and substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Chris then went on to earn a Master of Arts degree from Radford University in Radford, VA. There he studied composition with composer Mark Camphouse ( A Movement For Rosa, Tribute, To Build A Fire).
Chris Salerno is also an inventive and creative composer. For nearly forty years, Chris has been writing music for concert band, choir, orchestra, chamber ensembles, childrens’ songs, piano, hymn tunes, and mostly recently Anglican chant and plainchant.
Chris has also been an active arranger and orchestrator. He has composed, arranged, and orchestrated for CD accompaniment recordings for the Standard of Excellence, Tradition of Excellence, and String Basics instrumental method books, all published by Kjos. He has also served as an arranger for singer Martha Basset.
Salerno’s concert band music has been performed at the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic by the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band in Chicago, as well as the Radford University Symphonic Band in Radford, VA, and the West Point Military Academy Band in New York. His orchestral music has been played by The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (in a reading session), as well as the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra. Chris' music has twice received Reviewer’s Choice in The Instrumentalist Magazine and has been recorded by the Royal Northern College of Music Wind OrchestraI and was twice selected for the New Music Symposium in Virginia and served one year as a judge for the Symposium. His choral music has been performed by the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir in Lynchburg, VA, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir and the Heritage Baptist Church Choir, both in Farmville, VA.
Salerno received a Best Creative Thesis Award from Radford University for his Graduate composition recital. His concert band music has been selected twice for the New Music Symposium in Virginia. He has also been selected for Reviewer’s Choice twice in The Instrumentalist Magazine.
Salerno’s music has been published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Alfred Music, and Waterton Brass Music. His music appears on CD recordings from the Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Martha Bassett’s Christmas Album entitled Magnificat. He has been commissioned from concert bands across the midwest and eastern parts of the US.
He has had the privilege of conducting the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band, the Radford University Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble, the Canandaigua High School Symphonic Band, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir, and the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir.
Chris has also written numerous analyses of film music , including the music from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of The Rings, and a variety of other film scores.
Chris lives with his wife in Oregon, WI.
Chris Salerno
ABOUT LESSONS
Are you interested in learning to play a musical instrument? Is your interest in learning how music functions by studying music theory? Is it your passion to analyze the form of music to gain a better understanding of how it is organized? Or, do you want to create your own music by studying how to compose, arrange, and orchestrate?
​
Whichever question pertains to you, all of the above will be incorporated into your lessons to produce the total musician. A musician benefits from having knowledge of each of these realms as part of their holistic music education.
For students wanting to learn to play an instrument, I first focus on developing a good tone and technique. This is accomplished through warm-up routines at the beginning of each lesson that zero in on mastering the idiosyncrasies of the instrument.
​
It's important to not only teach a student how to play their instrument, but to give them the tools with which they can analyze and deconstruct the music they play in order to understand it. During the second part of the lesson, I focus on a particular piece of music. We discuss the melody, its phrase structure, the implied harmonic structures and progression, its form, and finally how to determine the appropriate expressiveness.
​
By incorporating music theory (the study of how music works) as an important part of each lesson, I show students the purpose and function of each note in a piece of music.
​
By incorporating form and analysis (the study of how music is structured) as another important part of each lesson, I show students how to recognize contrasting sections in a piece of music. This informs and guides a student as they seek to master the architecture of musical forms.
​
Essentially, it is my mission to teach and develop the complete musician. Whether they are playing or listening to music, they will have the necessary tools to analyze and appreciate music on a deeper level.
​
Students who don't want to learn a musical instrument but just focus on learning music theory or how to write music are more than welcome!
WOODWINDS - Beginners
BRASS
flute
clarinet
oboe
saxophone - Beginner/Intermediate
trumpet
french horn
trombone
baritone
tuba
WRITING MUSIC
music theory
composition
arranging
orchestration
BIO
Chris has been teaching for 18 years. He has taught music in public schools, private schools, and Liberty University, and most recently (and currently) as a private music teacher. He has taught general music, choir, band, orchestra, piano (privately and classes), sight-singing and ear training, and music theory. As a private music teacher, Chris teaches brass and woodwind instruments, composition, and music theory.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. There, he studied Euphonium with Roger Rocco, former principal tubist with the Honolulu and Seattle Symphony Orchestras and substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Chris then went on to earn a Master of Arts degree from Radford University in Radford, VA. There he studied composition with composer Mark Camphouse ( A Movement For Rosa, Tribute, To Build A Fire).
Chris Salerno is also an inventive and creative composer. For nearly forty years, Chris has been writing music for concert band, choir, orchestra, chamber ensembles, childrens’ songs, piano, hymn tunes, and mostly recently Anglican chant and plainchant.
Chris has also been an active arranger and orchestrator. He has composed, arranged, and orchestrated for CD accompaniment recordings for the Standard of Excellence, Tradition of Excellence, and String Basics instrumental method books, all published by Kjos. He has also served as an arranger for singer Martha Basset.
Salerno’s concert band music has been performed at the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic by the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band in Chicago, as well as the Radford University Symphonic Band in Radford, VA, and the West Point Military Academy Band in New York. His orchestral music has been played by The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (in a reading session), as well as the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra. Chris' music has twice received Reviewer’s Choice in The Instrumentalist Magazine and has been recorded by the Royal Northern College of Music Wind OrchestraI and was twice selected for the New Music Symposium in Virginia and served one year as a judge for the Symposium. His choral music has been performed by the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir in Lynchburg, VA, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir and the Heritage Baptist Church Choir, both in Farmville, VA.
Salerno received a Best Creative Thesis Award from Radford University for his Graduate composition recital. His concert band music has been selected twice for the New Music Symposium in Virginia. He has also been selected for Reviewer’s Choice twice in The Instrumentalist Magazine.
Salerno’s music has been published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Alfred Music, and Waterton Brass Music. His music appears on CD recordings from the Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Martha Bassett’s Christmas Album entitled Magnificat. He has been commissioned from concert bands across the midwest and eastern parts of the US.
He has had the privilege of conducting the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band, the Radford University Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble, the Canandaigua High School Symphonic Band, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir, and the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir.
Chris has also written numerous analyses of film music , including the music from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of The Rings, and a variety of other film scores.
Chris lives with his wife in Oregon, WI.