Dermot O’Halloran

Dermot O’Halloran is a young musician who always strives to learn in every setting he’s in, and that includes teaching. Dermot regularly works with high school ensembles, classes, and individual students, teaching everything from woodwind fundamentals to general musicianship and professionalism skills.

Dermot knows what it’s like to be on both sides of teaching. Having studied at both Berklee and the University of Toronto, he’s had the opportunity to study with six private teachers in the past two years, and strives to take all the lessons he learns from those world-class musicians and incorporate them into his own private teaching. Having learned in many styles and contexts, Dermot loves to adapt his teaching to each student, so he can figure out which lessons his students would most benefit from.

For beginning students, Dermot always makes sure to create fun, personalized activities and practice exercises for students to work on, and makes sure that lessons are both productive as well as positive and enjoyable. For older and more experienced students, Dermot makes sure that his lessons are personal sit-downs between two musicians, discussing what needs to be worked on and developing critical practice habits.

Now in his studies at the University of Toronto, Dermot regularly performs all around the city throughout the year, as well as in different places in Ontario with jazz orchestras and his own quintet. Though most of his current experience is in playing jazz styles, Dermot also has a great deal of experience playing saxophone in rock, reggae, and pop contexts, as well as symphonic band and solo performance. He enjoys teaching his students in whatever discipline they want to focus on, and incorporates the best parts of each into his teaching.

Dermot is always happy to take extra time to meet with students, work out lesson plans, and adjust his schedule, to make sure that students are getting the most that they can out of their lessons. He looks forward to working with you!