Morgan Nilsen

I-bike-to-YOU!
Clarinet Lessons

No transportation hassle- take a clarinet lesson in the comfort of your own home. I bike to you! Contact me to schedule a consistent day & time, and I bike to your place to teach. Lessons times range from 45min to 1 hour.
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I don't just teach clarinet, I LIVE IT. Often found performing Fri-Sun in a wide variety of venues, I am constantly learning tunes, different styles, and taking lessons, and can't wait to share with my students! I take time and care to craft repertoire and materials suited to each student's unique learning style.
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Eastman School of Music graduate Morgan Nilsen earned a Bachelors of Music in clarinet performance and the Diploma in Ethnomusicology. Nilsen studied under the direction of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra’s former principal clarinetist Jon Manasse, as well as taking several lessons with internationally acclaimed klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer. After studying at the Kinhaven Music School for 4 years with David Sapadin, (EOS Chamber Orchestra NYC), Nilsen returned to create and coach new world music ensembles.
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Nilsen taught group instrumental and choral singing as music director of a touring Klezmer band for 18 months before moving to San Francisco to help start Zambaleta World Music School as the Music Programs Coordinator.
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Nilsen has been teaching in the Bay Area for 7 years. She incorporates Orff Technique after receeiving workshops at the San Francisco School, where she has taught since 2009.

“Morgan provided excellent clarinet lessons for my son during his middle school years. She’s a great musician and teacher and super easy to schedule / work with.” ~Gitta (2015, SF)

My son learned clarinet with Morgan for several years until we had to move away from SF. I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend her as a teacher, in fact I would genuinely recommend taking up the clarinet in order to have her as a teacher. Not only is she a delightful person but she is herself a passionate and virtuoso musician playing music from all over the world in several different bands around the bay. We had a chance to see her perform a couple of times and it deeply inspired my son. She teaches both with notation and aurally, encouraging experimentation and improvisation as well as technical skill. Her generous and warm character meant that my son always looked forward to lessons and when he practiced between lessons it was not from obligation or pressure but because Morgan had nurtured and inspired a love of playing.
-Olivia, 2016

Morgan is an exceptional clarinet teacher. She taught my daughter for 5+ years. Never once did my kid complain about going to her lessons, in fact, she always looked forward to them and returned with stories to tell about the new pieces she learned and about Morgan's musical world adventures and ecological feats. Morgan has the perfect upbeat and encouraging temperament to teach a musical instrument. I wished I would have had her as a teacher when I was struggling to play the guitar as a kid :-)
-Vahlee teacher + parent at the San Francisco School

morgan nilsen taught me how to play the clarinet from fourth grade through eight grade. at the beginning, music wasn't my passion and practicing was a drag. but morgan not only taught me to play the clarinet, she taught me to love it and to love playing music over all! Towards the end of my first semester with her, it was definitely added to the list of my favorite things. even at the beginning, we didn't only play traditional pieces, we played fun, catchy melodies, pop songs, and pieces that i chose. as the years past, and i got better, we listened to songs, and wrote the music and arrangement for them! she always made it fun, exciting and interactive!!!
-Quincy, 9th grader