Clarinet               
Performances &

Music Lessons

B.A. Music | UNC Chapel Hill | May 2026

Young man lying on a carpeted floor, smiling, with a clarinet resting on his shoulders like antlers, wearing a suit jacket, shirt, tie, and dress pants.
A young man in business attire playing the clarinet in a music room with yellow walls, a large window, a grand piano, and music stands.
Young man playing clarinet during orchestra rehearsal with conductor and fellow musicians.

Teaching Music

Free trial lessons available to new students!

My goal is to help every student cultivate independence and confidence in themselves through studying music in fun and thought-provoking lessons.

Individual & Group Lessons Offered: Clarinet (all types), Music Theory (AP+), Saxophone (all types), Flute/Piccolo, Piano (beginner), Composition, Marching Cymbals, Chamber Music

Young man in formal attire sitting on a leather chair, holding a clarinet and looking down with a slight smile.

Lesson Information

Teaching Credentials

  • Teaching privately since 2018

  • Helped 20+ clarinetists earn places in North Carolina honors ensembles

  • Marching band instructor at Green Level High School for the 2023 marching season

  • B.A. Music awarded by UNC Chapel Hill in 2026 — concentrations in clarinet performance and composition

  • Master’s student in Transportation Engineering at UC Berkeley

Rates

  • 30 minutes — $45

  • 45 minutes — $65

  • 60 minutes — $85

  • Travel fee — +$15 for in-home lessons; increase for homes very far from my own; waivers available for homes close to my own

  • Wind & Brass room fee — +$5 per lesson to help cover the room rental; trial lessons at Wind & Brass are up to 60 minutes and cost $20 to cover the room rental

Location

  • Berkeley, CA

    • Wind & Brass instrument repair shop on Solano Ave. Mondays and Wednesdays

    • In-home lessons available throughout Berkeley and surrounding communities

    • Lessons at my home near UC Berkeley’s campus, subject to availability

  • Virtual

    • Available anywhere

  • Cary, NC

    • Limited/occasional availability

Primary Instruction

  • Clarinet (B♭/A, Bass, E♭, Alto)

  • Music Theory (including AP Music Theory; incorporated into instrumental lessons at no additional cost)

Other Available Instruction

  • Saxophone (Alto, Tenor, Soprano, Baritone)

  • Flute & Piccolo

  • Beginner Piano

  • Composition

  • Marching Cymbals

  • Group Lessons & Chamber Coaching

  • Clarinet Clinics, Sectionals, & Masterclasses

  • Reduced rates available for lessons in saxophone, flute, piccolo, beginner piano, and composition

  • Contact for pricing on marching cymbals, group lessons, and chamber coaching

Additional Logistics

  • Flexible scheduling throughout the week

  • In-home lessons preferred when possible

  • 45- or 60-minute lessons are recommended

  • Adult and youth students are welcome

  • Especially experienced in preparing middle and high school clarinetists for honors ensemble auditions

  • Complimentary feedback on student recordings between lessons, especially during audition season

  • Virtual lessons remain available for in-person students when travel plans arise

  • Lecciones disponibles en español

  • Financial accommodations available when needed

A group of musicians on stage performing, with a woman playing the violin, a young man playing the clarinet, and a conductor leading them. The background features a wooden panel wall and other orchestra members seated with their instruments.
A young man with light brown hair smiling, dressed in a blue shirt, a yellow and black patterned tie, and a white graduation stole, standing outdoors in front of a brick wall and lush green bushes.

My Teaching Philosophy

How many beats are there in a whole note? Music theory says 4. Sheet music says 2 in cut time and some fractional value in compound meter. Donald Oehler, one of my clarinet professors from UNC Chapel Hill, says 5 because the whole note doesn’t end until the fifth beat has arrived.

Each answer offers unique information on how to best perform the music, though I see Professor Oehler’s 5-beat definition as the most useful since it encourages musicians to be present and to express with intent.

When I teach, I always encourage my students to think about small details like this. Woodwinds hide so much of their sound production inside the human body, making these instruments mostly invisible. I help my students develop the skill of observing their own bodies’ mechanics so that they can truly see the instrument they’re playing.

Developing this awareness opens up a whole new world of musical growth. I intentionally phrase my feedback so students can continue discovering new meaning in it years later as they become more aware of their bodies and instruments. This philosophy is inspired by my high school clarinet teacher, Mei Thai, who says that her job as a teacher is to show her students how to be their own teacher when she’s not there with them. I strive to do the same in every lesson.

Beyond developing musical skills, I hope my students leave lessons with greater confidence, resilience, patience, curiosity, and compassion. Like my own teachers, I believe that music educators have the opportunity to help students grow both as musicians and as people.

My First Lesson Philosophy

I believe that finding the right student-teacher fit is essential for productive lessons and money well spent. The first lesson is an opportunity for students and me to get to know each other and to see if we’re a good fit without having the pressure of committing to regular lesson fees before either of us knows whether we’ll be a good long-term fit.

Since I teach many teenagers, I think it’s important that parents meet me and feel comfortable with their children taking lessons from me from day one. So, the free trial lesson is also an important opportunity to build that trust and understanding of personality between parents and me.

My teaching style in trial lessons is the same as in paid lessons. I want every student to walk away from our first lesson feeling like they learned a lot and can think about music differently. We’ll work on your preferred music in the first lesson, and I’ll offer practical advice to expand the ways you think about sound production, technique, and musical expression.

Testimonials from Students & Parents

  • “Over the years, Jake has taught me so much! He's not only taught me techniques and clear fixes for music in the moment, but also techniques for practicing and auditioning! He's patient, funny, and adapts to help you really understand. I highly recommend him!”

    — Frank

  • “Although my daughter studied with Jake only during summer time, she learned a great deal from him. What stood out most about his teaching was his focus on helping students learn how to evaluate themselves. He encourages her to listen closely, recognize her own mistakes, and find ways to improve independently. This ability to be her own critic is an invaluable skill that extends beyond music.”

    — Vijaya

  • “Jake is an exceptionally skilled clarinetist and an outstanding teacher. He has been guiding my son since the 6th grade—stepping in with expert instruction whenever my son’s teacher is away, and serving as a spot-on mock adjudicator for Wake, District, and State auditions every year. Remarkably, every score Jake gave during these mock sessions has pretty matched the actual audition results with incredible accuracy. His deep musical expertise, professional insights, and effective teaching style have made a massive impact on my son’s musical journey. We recommend him without hesitation!”

    — Charles Lu

  • “My son enjoys Jake’s teaching style. Jake is easy to work with, communicates promptly and clearly, and is flexible in accommodating our needs. Overall, we’ve had a very positive experience.”

    — Min

  • “Jake was a wonderful clarinet teacher to my kid who started lessons at age 6. He is very patient, encouraging, and knowledgeable. He made each lesson enjoyable and helped build confidence and skill. We truly appreciated his dedication and would highly recommend him!”

    — Omo A

Past Performances

Duo Concerto for Clarinet and Viola

by Max Bruch; Op. 88

with violist Natalie Druffner

and the UNC Symphony Orchestra

(Performed in Moeser Auditorium, Chapel Hill, NC)

A woman playing the violin and a man playing the clarinet during a concert, surrounded by an orchestra in a performance hall.

The professional recording of this concert’s full program is no longer made publicly available due to copyright restrictions. These are informal recordings graciously captured by friends and family in the audience.

“Autoethnographic”

Jake’s UNC Chapel Hill Senior Clarinet Recital

(Performed in Person Recital Hall, Chapel Hill, NC)

A young man in a white shirt, patterned tie, and black pants sitting on a wooden bench outdoors, holding a clarinet. Behind him is a brick wall with a stone lion's head fountain, some green bushes, and a white door. Overlaid text promotes a senior recital titled 'Autoethnographic' by Jake A. Csirke Juliano, scheduled for Sunday, May 3 at 1 PM in the Person Recital Hall, with references to works by Kovacs, Verdi, Bernstein, and Alomía Robles.
Senior Recital Program
Group of eight young musicians smiling and standing together in a room with wooden floors, a grand piano, and organ pipes in the background, holding musical instruments including a clarinet.
A group of seven people, including musicians holding instruments and others dressed formally, posing in a room with large windows, wooden floors, and a pipe organ in the background.

Members of the UNC Clarinet Studio

A post-recital picture of all performers

Additional Performance Samples

Soprano Clarinet, E♭ Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo, and Marching Cymbals

Promotional flyer for a concert featuring Voices of the Heart, performing fantasy and fairytale music by Schumann, Amberg, and Bruch, scheduled for Friday, December 5th at 4 PM in the Person Recital Hall, with a background photo of three young women holding musical instruments outdoors.

Johan Amberg — Fantasiestucke, Op. 12

Natalie Druffner, viola; Camilla Fratta, piano

59:10 — Dem Andeken Schumann gewidmet

1:03:40 — Maerchen

1:08:04 — Zum Abschied

All 4 movements performed in Voices of the Heart