Teacher Profile: Tobi Stone
About Tobi Stone
Tobi is a performing saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist and teacher. She also teaches beginning piano. Tobi grew up in Washington State in a musical family, learning guitar from a young age. She started the band in 5th grade with her dad's clarinet. In middle school, she heard a professional saxophonist perform and fell in love with the sound. She went home that day and asked for lessons. She was blessed to have family and community support to study music at the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor in Music Performance, emphasis in Jazz Studies. Tobi plays and teaches Saxophone, Clarinet, and Flute.
Over the last 25 years, Tobi has performed professionally with several bands. She toured and recorded with The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet and Drums across Europe and in the US, from 2002-2007, and with Reptet Jazz Septet in the US, from 2001-2008. She performed as the first woman instrumentalist with The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra from 2012-2015. She has played with The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Village Theatre, Spectrum Dance Studio Theatre. She has also performed live radio and TV broadcasts for KEXP, KPLU, Seattle Joe TV, and KING 5 TV.
What Tobi loves about music is that it brings people together. It has the power to change hearts and heal divides. And, it's fun! At an early age, Tobi found a connection to her soul through music. In spending time playing my instruments, experiencing life's lessons, and listening to stories from mentors, bandmates, and other musicians, she developed musicianship, built good coordination, concentration, and learned creative innovation. This is what Tobi brings to her students. She teaches lessons in an organic way, catering to each student's goals and interests. Music is her calling, and Tobi finds it an honor to share her passion and knowledge. Tobi provides a well-rounded approach that includes fundamental technique, tone, reading music, rhythm, improvisation, theory, practice and performance skills, playing in an ensemble or band, and, most importantly, having fun playing music!
Tobi lives in Seattle and enjoys cooking, reading, writing, nature, animals, bicycling, long boarding, paddle boarding, and traveling.