Lessons
My philosophy is simple: music education must be tailored to the individual.
Over a decade of experience
I’ve had the good fortune of doing what I love for many years: fostering skill and enjoyment on the guitar and piano for my students.
Classical and contemporary
I’ve worked with students in a variety of styles and genres, including classical, jazz, rock, and blues.
From beginner to advanced
From the first lesson to a college audition, I have enjoyed working with students who have a wide variety of experience.
For adult learners:
I like to begin with a simple question:
Musically speaking, what would you like to be able to do that you can’t do now?
Once we’ve got that settled, we’ll come up with a customized game plan. Along the way, we’ll study the three parts of music: melody, harmony, and rhythm and how each can be used in a practical way on the guitar or piano. Typically, by the third lesson I’ve got my students playing a simple song with good fundamentals.
You will regularly be challenged with repertoire which reinforces new concepts and increases in difficulty proportionate to skill. The songs we choose to study can (and often do) traverse genres. Classic rock, blues, jazz, country, classical - all of it is welcome.
For young learners:
Encouragement and direction is often needed for younger students who might not be sure what they want out of music. I believe in making lessons interactive for children, which includes: playing pieces together, learning to draw notes, musical games, and more. Along with my own teaching materials, I use several method books. These include:
Hal Leonard Guitar Method for young guitarists interested in contemporary styles
Christopher Parkening Method for students of classical guitar
For piano students, I use several methods:
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library or Faber’s Piano Adventures for younger children
John Thompson’s Modern Course for older and more advanced learners
A Dozen a Day for daily exercises and sight reading
FAQs
How long are lessons?
Typically a half hour (30 minutes) for younger and more inexperienced learners is plenty. A full hour is recommended for more experienced students.
How frequently are lessons held?
Once per week is typical.
How often should I/my child practice?
Practice, especially in the beginning, is very difficult but equally important. I recommend frequent but short practices around ten minutes long, ideally once a day or more.
Is my/my child’s guitar or keyboard suitable?
Probably. I don’t recommend going for the cheapest option available on Amazon (that usually makes learning harder than necessary). Feel free to contact me for suggestions.