Colette Hall

Education

DMA, The Hartt School, University of Hartford

MM, Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne University

BM, Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam

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Colette Hall is a passionate saxophonist, teacher and arts administrator. She performs regularly as the alto saxophonist for Resurgam Quartet, a professional saxophone quartet based in Connecticut, where she is also the general manager. She has also performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Nutmeg Symphony. Dr. Hall also teaches through the Hartt School Community Division in Hartford, and she has previously taught students of all ages privately. Dr. Hall graduated with her Doctorate in Saxophone Performance from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School in Hartford, CT in May 2015. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Performance from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam, NY. In addition to performing and teaching, Dr. Hall has extensive arts administration experience, and is currently the Executive Director of CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists). A native of the Hudson Valley area in New York, Dr. Hall currently resides in Wethersfield with her cats Hank and Waldo.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that the goal of music instruction is to create lifelong lovers and learners of music. In order to achieve this goal, private lesson instruction should be individualized, supportive, and fun.

The reality is that the majority of the time a student spends with their instrument is on their own and not with their teacher, so one of the most important things a teacher can do is prepare their students to ultimately teach themselves. By teaching students not just what to practice, but how to practice, they will be supported throughout their performing careers and beyond.

My students will develop strong fundamentals in major areas of saxophone performance including tone, technique, theory, and expression. Lessons regularly include exercises to build air support, and scales and arpeggios to develop technical facilities. Lessons also include analysis of music theory as well as cultivation of an understanding of phrasing, musicality, and historical context.

When my students have auditions or public performances, I tell them to play well and have fun. These are not only encouraging words for performances, but important guiding principles in how I design lessons, to help students to perform at their highest level while ensuring the experience is enjoyable and enriching.