Meet 2025 Teacher of the Year for Bass Clarinet Alexander Cha

We asked 2025 Lessonface Teacher of the Year in Bass Clarinet, Alexander Cha, to share insights into his connection to music and his approach to teaching. In this Q&A, Alexander reflects on discovering the clarinet at a young age, his journey toward becoming a professional musician and educator, and the personalized, goal-oriented structure of his teaching studio. He emphasizes patience, consistent practice, and breaking down challenges into manageable steps, both in music and in life, as the foundation for long-term growth and confidence on the bass clarinet.

What drew you to learning about bass clarinet?

I have been a clarinetist for over 14 years now yet I never imagined I would be able to become the Teacher of the Year for bass clarinet. I have always wanted to go into music and specifically the clarinet ever since the fourth grade when I was first exposed to the sound of the clarinet. Ever since then I have wanted to become a professional musician in multiple capacities including becoming a teacher. I am so thankful that I have been able to use my teaching experience to help other prospective musicians and I hope there are more clarinetists and bass clarinetists as we head into 2026!

How would you describe your teaching studio?

My teaching studio is dedicated to taking a personalized approach to each of my students. At least for me, while taking lessons when I was younger, sometimes teachers will have a specific path for teaching that will lead each of their students down. While this can be very effective, I have found tailoring my lessons to each student gives a more personalized learning experience. If a certain student is progressing faster in one area than another I will strengthen their weaknesses to take advantage of their strengths and vice versa.

In terms of teaching space, I always make sure to have some type of goal for every lesson no matter how small it is, so that I can enter the lesson in a proactive and goal-oriented headspace.

If you could gift your students one piece of automatic knowledge or ability about the bass clarinet, what would it be? 

One piece of knowledge that was passed down to me is that although practicing seems tough when you are younger, the practice you do now will carry you through the rest of your life regardless of whether you decide to go into music or simply play casually.

What’s one lasting takeaway you hope your students will carry with them from your teaching, even years from now?

Alongside that, what I hope my students can take away from my lessons is that no matter how daunting a piece of music or a technique can seem, you can do it! If you break it down and take it one piece at a time you can master any rhythm, sound or tempo. And in life do not be afraid to take this same approach when facing difficult challenges. I know you have the ability to overcome those challenges so push yourself and you can do it!

Anything you'd like to share about your or your students’ accomplishments from 2025?

Many of my students have taken on challenging solo pieces this past year and I would like to praise their tenacity and positive spirit while learning these difficult musical pieces.

Is there anything else you would like to share with potential students about the bass clarinet?

Bass clarinet is not as daunting as it seems and I promise you can learn a lot from the instrument and how to be a team player in an ensemble. Even if you just want to learn a little or a lot, I am happy to help any prospective students on their journey with bass or soprano clarinet, thank you!

If you are interested in learning more about Alexander or would like to book a lesson with him, please visit his Lessonface profile here. 

Also, be sure to check out all of Lessonface’s 2025 Teachers of the Year here!