My Teaching Philosophy:
The saxophone is a relatively young and versatile instrument, with a strong presence across classical, jazz, contemporary, and popular music. This versatility offers students the opportunity to discover a musical pathway that resonates with their individual interests, strengths, and goals.
My teaching focuses primarily on classical saxophone, as it provides a strong technical, musical, and stylistic foundation. Alongside this, I thoughtfully incorporate elements from other stylesโsuch as jazz, contemporary techniques, listening practices and stylistic awareness – as an extension of classical training. This approach supports a more holistic saxophone journey, equipping students with adaptability, curiosity and a broader musical understanding.
Learning music at any age offers profound benefits. Beyond honing technical skills, playing an instrument develops focus, sensitivity, discipline and self-awareness, while also creating opportunities for collaboration, communication and a sense of community through music-making.
I believe teaching should be a joyful and inspiring process. My responsibility as an educator is to create an engaging, supportive environment that motivates students to practice consistently and with intention. This requires educators to remain curious, reflective, and adaptable – continually evolving methods to meet students where they are.
At the core of my teaching is the development of independent, thoughtful & kind musicians. I encourage curiosity and aim to help students understand not only how to play, but why the music works the way it does. I balance clear structure with flexibility, adapting my approach to each studentโs learning style and personal goals. Through this process, students cultivate responsibility, self-awareness, and a lifelong enjoyment of music-making.
Interested to learn to play the saxophone? Please send me an email at: michellinachan@gmail.com
Check out my bio here.
Or have a browse of very kind testimonials from my students and colleagues:
“Michellina is an extremely effective and passionate tutor! What I appreciate most about her teaching style is that she is able to adjust her lessons to accommodate her studentsโ personalities, abilities and interests, no matter how vast, while at the same time continuously challenging us to improve as musicians and exposing us to music beyond our usual (school) repertoire. It is easy to ask questions or make mistakes without feeling judged in the kind of learning environment that she creates, and she genuinely cares about her studentsโ progress, whether or not they are amateurs or casual musicians. Not many can be talented musicians and wonderful teachers at the same time, but Michellina is definitely adept at both.” – Jaime
“Michellina is one of my favourite Teachers in life. She is always passionate, patient and inspirational. Whenever I feel lost in saxophone learning, she always gives inspirations and encouragements. She totally changed my thoughts about saxophone and broadened my horizons in music. Iโm very grateful to her for her guidance. She is superb!!!” – Eason
“I was fortunate enough to be under the tutelage of Ms. Michellina Chan from 2019-2021. I would definitely rank her in the top tier of Singapore saxophone teachers I have studied with in the past few years with regards to her pedagogy and musical direction. Michellina is highly adaptive in catering her lesson based on the goals that I have set for myself. Often than not, she would address areas which I am lacking and often push my playing capabilities to the next level; for example by breaking down various technical passages into smaller exercises, imparted me with various efficient practice approaches and heighten my active listening skills. Overall, Michellina is an exceptional music teacher and performer, I would therefore highly recommend her to anyone looking for a saxophone teacher.” – Sean
“Over the past 2 years under Michellina teaching I have learn so much from different ways of approaching problems and music. And time after time she have taught me to be creative with the way I practice. With that approach my practice session never turn stagnate, her lesson not only filled with knowledge is also filled with energy. Her never ending energy is also infectious and sometimes gives me energy to keep moving forward with my practice.” – Xavier
“Our first collaboration started back in 2019 when our Saxophone Quartet just won the Malaysia Wind Prize and was looking for a mentor to prepare for our winnerโs recital. Right off the bat, Michellina has been an inspiring tutor who is not only highly skilled, but also generous with her knowledge and experience on the saxophone. She is also highly adaptable to the level of learning of each individual and just overall an extremely down to earth person to be around. From then on, we knew no event will ever be the same without her involvement and so we continued to collaborate with her (and her amazing group, KๅฃU) on other events such as Saxophone Ensemble workshops, Kuchingโs inaugural Youth Band Fiesta, virtual productions and even had her on our virtual chat session (Insiderโs Spotlight). Looking back, Michellina has been an amazing friend and mentor to us, and undoubtedly one of the reasons behind the success of our organisation today. We look forward to more collaborative and educational opportunities with Michellina in the future.” – Jesmond, The Band Lab
Studio Concerts
Saxophone Day 2025
๐ท saxophone day 2025 @ weird afterspace ๐ท
๐
When: Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 2 PMโ7 PM
๐ Where: Aliwal Arts Centre, #03-02, 28 Aliwal St, Singapore
Calling all passionate saxophonists! Join us for an epic afternoon of music, learning, and fun. Whether you’re here to level up your technique, make some weird sounds or jam with fellow sax players, this is the event for you!
๐ฅ The haps!
2 PM: Welcome & Warm-Up
3 PM: Technique Building (Weird sounds included!)
4 PM: Masterclass
5 PM: Ensemble Jam
6:30 PM: Creative Workshop & Improv
7 PM: End! Feel free to join us for a group Dinner (optional but awesome!)
๐ What to Bring:
Your saxophone (Bb/Eb) + reeds, mouthpiece, ligature, neck strap, cork grease, pencil & paper
Tons of enthusiasm!
๐ฏ Whoโs This For?
Saxophonists with at least 2.5 years of experience who:
Can play major scales (up to 3# & 3b)
Can sightread Grade 3+ music
๐ฐ Cost: $100
Spots are limited, so sign up now! Weโll email you for payment to confirm your spot.
๐ง Questions? Contact us at michellinachan@gmail.com
Donโt miss outโletโs make some music together!
Saxophone Day 2023
Information: Join us on a fun day of honing your saxophone playing alongside other like-minded & passionate saxophonists! We will kick off the day with some fun warm up and technique exercises! Knowing the organizer, there will be some fun mini competitions along the way! ๐ Have you had any trouble with sticky keys/saxophone maintenance? No problem, we will share with you our tried and tested way of showing your instrument some tender loving care aka from a musician’s perspective:-)! An ensemble rehearsal will follow – we’ll explore various genres of music! After that, we will dabble in extended technique, a little show-and-tell and crash course – hopefully the head start one needs to embark on their colourful musical adventure! We will end things off with a little jam session followed by ensemble presentation!
Details of Saxophone Day 2023:
15 June 2023
10h-18h
Musospace
#03-02 140 Paya Lebar Rd, AZ Building, Singapore
What to bring:
Saxophone (Bb/Eb) + everything you need to make sound aka reeds (bring extras!) , mouthpiece, ligature, neck strap/harness, cork grease,
Pencil & Paper
An enthusiastic energy!!
Who:
Saxophonists who are passionate about the instrument!
Preferably 2.5 years and up of saxophone experience (for the best experience!)
– Can play major scales up to 3# and 3b
– Can sightread grade 3 and up
Agenda:
10h-10h30 Fanfare – arrival of participants + nice chats
10h30-11h30 Blow that sax! (warm up)
11h30-12h30 Mend that sax! (with Xavier Tan)
12h30-13h30 A break for your chops – aka lunch (not provided – bring a sandwich and some snacks!)
13h30-15h30 A plethora of sax delights aka ensemble! (with a 20” break in between)
15h30-16h30 Jam-o-clock!
16h30-17h30 Celebrating that sax! (presentations) *
17h30 Goodbyes ๐ฆ
* If anyone is interested to present a piece, please let us know! ๐
Price:
$50 (As much as I would have like to make this free, there are unfortunately overhead costs that has to be covered! If it’s well received, we will look for donors next time!)
Sign up:
https://forms.gle/Bw1QzKWJhbZr6e3r8
Michellina Chan 