If you live in the NYC area or are in town for a couple of days feel free to contact me regarding private lessons. I teach at Michiko Studios, around the corner from Times Square. For students that are out of town, consider a Skype lesson.
Topics range from tone quality, improvisation, harmony, rhythm, approach notes, melodic development, voice-leading, bebop language and technique to more advanced principles such as rhythmic variation, mixed meter, polyrhythm, polyharmony, superimposition and composition. All levels are welcome.
The way you practice has to be in tune with where you stand in the music. A practicing regime that works for you at this time might not be beneficial for you two years from now since your set of skills and depth in the music will change. Music/life is never static and your practicing routine should be in tune with where you stand and in which direction you would like to go.
What you practice depends on a few factors starting with your level. It is necessary to get your basics together no matter what direction you choose. This requires an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and the willingness to tackle the issues with the ultimate goal being to find an equilibrium with yourself and the music. On a higher level you develop your personal sound by exploring different topics of interest and by using composition as your main tool to establish direction.