"Hi there! I’m Sawyer, a professional touring musician and graduate student in Music Composition. I’ve had the pleasure of tutoring students of all abilities in music for my entire adult life. I am passionate about music and I truly believe that theory, ear training, music history, and musicianship can be the most exciting part of a musician’s studies -- contrary to how many musicians might feel about these topics!

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Music from New York University, and I am currently a Master’s student in Music Composition at Queens College. At NYU, I was on the Dean’s List for all four consecutive years, ultimately winning a Presidential Honors Scholarship, as well as the Elaine R. Brody Memorial Prize for an outstanding music major. I was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honors organization, and at Queens College I have been awarded the Leo Kraft Scholarship for Composition. I scored 169/170 on the Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE exam, and 5.5/6 on the Analytical Writing section, putting me in the 99th and 98th percentiles, respectively. Outside of my academic work, I tour internationally as the bassist in my band, Stolen Gin.

No matter what your goals are, I promise that I will give you the entirety of my ability and passion for this subject. I have helped students achieve top grades in high school and college music classes, ace entrance exams to conservatories, and get perfect 5/5 scores in AP Music Theory. I have also taught many courses for classical musicians looking to learn jazz theory, and vice versa. In addition to my work helping students with the academic side of music, I have spent years as a professional major-label touring and recording artist. I have helped guide many young musicians in their dreams of becoming professionals, and I have an understanding of the working life of an industry professional that is rare among scholars of music.

I look forward to hearing from you!" less...