Hillai Govreen Segal
About
I am a passionate and versatile music educator specializing in clarinet, saxophone, piano, and ukulele. As a multi-instrumentalist, I bring a broad musical perspective to my teaching, helping students understand not only how to play their instrument, but how music works as a whole. My goal is to build confident, expressive musicians through strong fundamentals, creativity, and an encouraging, supportive learning environment.
I have extensive experience performing and studying across both classical, jazz, choro and brazilian music, which allows me to adapt lessons to each student’s interests — whether that means preparing for exams, learning favorite songs, developing improvisation skills, or building a strong technical foundation. Working across woodwinds and keyboard instruments has given me a deep understanding of tone production, rhythm, phrasing, and musical interpretation that I share with students in practical, accessible ways.
As a teacher, I work with students of all ages and levels, from complete beginners to advancing players. I emphasize clear technique, healthy posture and breathing habits (especially for wind players), and steady progress through structured but engaging lessons. I believe that music education should be both disciplined and enjoyable, and I strive to create lessons that are motivating, personalized, and rewarding for every student.
I have a BFA degree from The New School for jazz and contemporary music where I graduated with honors.
Teaching Style
My teaching style is structured, encouraging, and highly individualized. I believe every student learns differently, so I tailor each lesson to match the student’s age, experience level, goals, and musical interests. Whether a student is preparing for exams, auditions, performances, or simply learning for enjoyment, I create a clear learning plan that builds strong fundamentals while keeping lessons engaging and motivating.
I balance discipline with creativity in every lesson. Technical exercises are always connected to real musical goals, and I encourage students to develop independence through thoughtful practice strategies. I also prioritize building confidence, especially for beginners or students who may feel nervous about performing. My aim is not only to help students improve technically, but to cultivate a lasting love of music and a sense of accomplishment in their progress.
Curriculum
Student testimonals:
"As an adult who decided to learn piano just for fun, I was nervous about starting lessons later in life. From the very first lesson, I felt completely comfortable and encouraged. Lessons are structured but never overwhelming, and I appreciate how technique is explained in a clear, practical way. We work on fundamentals, but I also get to learn music I genuinely enjoy playing like beatles songs, which keeps me motivated to practice. I’ve made more progress than I expected, and I actually look forward to practicing now. I highly recommend these lessons to any adult beginner who wants a supportive and knowledgeable teacher"
“My child began clarinet lessons with the goal of auditioning for LaGuardia High School, and the preparation was incredibly thorough and focused. Every lesson built toward the audition requirements - scales, etudes, tone work, Weber concertino and performance confidence. What impressed me most was the attention to detail and the structured plan leading up to the audition. Mock auditions and clear feedback helped my child feel fully prepared and confident. Thanks to this guidance, my child was accepted to LaGuardia. We are extremely grateful for the dedication, expertise, and encouragement throughout the entire process.”
Credentials & Affiliations
Graduated with honors from The New School
Worked as a transcriber arranger at Simply Piano
Experience teaching in YOF music school, piano school in Bedstuy, private lessons
Bio
Hillai Govreen is a clarinetist, saxophonist and composer based in New York. Hillai’s upcoming album Every Other Now is a collaboration with bassist/composer Ben Meigners, and features some notable names of the NY music scene such as Steve Cardenas (guitar), Eric McPherson (drums), Café Da Silva (percussion) among others. The album is set to be released in August 2025 under the Fresh Sound label.
Her previous album “Allusions” (2021) is a duet with pianist Nitsan Kolko. Their duet feature spontaneous musical dialogue and alludes to various ancient fables. In addition, Hillai arranged music for a nonet consisting of strings and woodwinds.
Hillai Govreen has collaborated with a wide range of international musicians, including George Cables, Allison Miller, Arturo O’Farrill, Eric McPherson, Anat Cohen, George Colligan, Steve Cardenas and Harold Rubin. She has toured across India, Europe, Israel, and the U.S. and has performed at notable New York venues such as Dizzy’s Club, The Jazz Gallery, Smalls, Mezzrow, Birdland, National Sawdust, and Ornithology. Hillai is an endorsing artist for P. Mauriat clarinets and saxophones.
She graduated with honors from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2020, where she studied with renowned musicians including Anat Cohen, Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby, Billy Harper, Steve Cardenas, and Reggie Workman.
Born and raised in Israel, Hillai Govreen developed a passion for music early on. She started learning classical piano at the age of 6, and at 12, she took up the clarinet, studying under Professor Michael Gurfinkel.
During high school, Hillai was awarded musical scholarships from the American Israel Cultural Foundation for four consecutive years and played first clarinet in the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also honored as an "Outstanding Musician" and received a full scholarship to study at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.