About
My current and former students range in age from eight to retired adults and in ability from total beginners to experienced players with decades of experience under their belts. Many of including the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lakeside Pride Band, and North Shore New Horizons Band.
My teaching is very much centered around developing the fundamental skills used to play the clarinet. These fundamentals can be applied to every piece of music one plays, making them indispensable skills. I believe that this makes my students more independent learners and allows them to be more comfortable with navigating the instrument. I hope that developing these skills will reduce the sense of "struggling" with the clarinet and therefore making playing enjoyable and rewarding.
I am fascinated with the learning process and, on a side note, was previously a research assistant to a professor researching foreign language study at DePaul University. I often use language-learning techniques in my own clarinet study and teaching, and vice versa. In language study, once one develops a certain level of fluency and mastery of vocabulary and grammar, everyday conversations become natural and enjoyable, making for more meaningful interactions in the outside world. Similary, a strong study of clarinet fundamentals builds fluency and comfort on the instrument and allows my students to play and interact with the wonderful music written for the clarinet as well as to build a general love for the instrument itself. I believe that all of these are skills that we can acquire, refine, and use for the rest of our lives.
Biography
A Southern California native, Chaz Sonoda began his clarinet studies at the age of 9. He has appeared as a soloist with the United States Army Band and the Hornell Area Wind Ensemble (NY) and has previously performed with the National Repertory Orchestra, Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and IN Series Opera Company. In 2022, Chaz was a prizewinner in both the American Virtuoso International Music Competition and the Philharmonic Society of Arlington’s Young Artist Competition (MA).
From 2012 to 2016, Chaz spent a combined total of nearly one year in China studying with clarinetists He Yi of China Conservatory and Rende Zheng of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (retired), while simultaneously studying Chinese language and literature at Fudan University and the Beijing Language and Culture University. Additionally, he toured China as co-principal clarinetist of Northwestern University's Symphony Orchestra in 2018.
Since 2018, Chaz has been a member of the clarinet section at the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington D.C., and in 2021, he joined the faculty of American University as professor of clarinet. Chaz earned his Bachelor of Music at DePaul University and Master of Music at Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy. His primary teachers include Emil Khudyev, Steve Cohen, Stephen Williamson, Julie DeRoche, and Deborah Chodacki.
As a teacher, Chaz has been invited to present masterclasses and workshops at a number of schools around the country, including University of Colorado Boulder, California State Universities Long Beach and Northridge, Northeastern Illinois University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Northwestern University, as well as the International Clarinet Association's ClarinetFest 2023 in Denver. Chaz has been teaching privately since 2016. His students have earned spots in various honor bands and youth orchestras, and many are selected to play first chair in their school band programs. Additionally, a small number have gone on to study music seriously in undergraduate and graduate programs.