About
Having taught guitar and songwriting since I was in high school, I bring a lifetime of varied experience as a musician, a songwriter and a music teacher to both adults and children.
I am active as a performer, a composer, a Grammy nominated producer, an event producer and a father of musicians, so I know the territory from many perspectives.
My teaching is tailored to a student's desires and needs and I evaluate each student on their individual desires and needs.
The joy of imparting knowledge about how to play, sing and write music nevers gets old. To be able to play music is to always have a friend at hand. Sharing this capacity to create, perform and entertain oneself, as well as others, is passing along one of the greatest gifts life has to offer. Showing a student a new idea about how execute a chord passage or a solo run brings as many rewards to the teacher as it does the student. Having a student thank me in the middle of a performance for an insight I have been able to pass along to them is one of the greatest reactions any teacher could have.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I access their skill level first, then their interest in learning which styles, expectations regarding being a performer, do they accompany themselves singing and the overall context within which they want to play, i.e. solo or in an ensemble. Then we select material to learn, whether scales, chords, music theory as relating to a performing context and as a songwriter.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I studied classical guitar for a year in college, but most of my learning has been on my own. I have played guitar professionally since I was in high school and have composed music for TV, films and commercials, as well as producing a Grammy nominated album (Talk To Your Daughter, Robben Ford, Warner Bros. 25647-2). As a performer I have played with North Mississippi bluesman RL Burnside on short US tours and perform regularly with several bands here in Los Angeles, in both acousatic and electric formats. My training as a teacher also started in high school, teaching fellow students and expanding my lessons to their younger siblings, then adults and college friends. Once my children started school, the pattern repeated itself with their friends, younger siblings, parents and eventually strangers contacting me through referrals. Having a selection of students with a wide range of interests expanded my own skill set and gave me plenty of opportunity to develop a good teaching style. Being a songwriter helps me to advise students how to integrate playing and signing at the same time effectively.