Mario Alas Guitar Lessons

Going on 12 years now I first picked up the guitar at the age of 10, and still haven’t put it down! My passion for music has shaped his life and has afforded me many amazing opportunities in performance,personal study and in working with students.

I want give back to music through teaching. Music gave me a true universal outlet for communication, as the guitar is an extension of who I am and my internal thoughts and feelings being painted through sound for the audience. I performs regularly in the DC area and do session work along with teaching.

I began performing and teaching professionally during my sophomore year in high school,( going on my 6th year) working with students of various ages. At Ellington, my passion for music grew to new heights as my guitar instructor gave me the great advice to “treat every song you play like it’s your favorite”. Taking this to heart I have developed a deep love and proficiency for jazz, blues, Latin, rock, mo-town, classical, funk, country pop and hip hop music. This experience not only allowed me to get accepted into many of the nations finest music schools it prepared him for the atmosphere of being a professional musician.

My core belief is in teaching is starting correctly from "zero" to avoid perfecting bad habits that can hinder progress along the way. I prefer to start them with the beginners Hal Leonard guitar books because of their detailed explanations and illustrations in the early stages of getting to know the instrument and the music theory behind it while learning recognizable melodies and setting up an understanding for repertoire going forward. After years of teaching students aged 4-64, I want my students to know that I’m here to guide them in the direction they want to go. No two students are alike and I always personalize lessons to the individual. I teach students from beginners to advanced, including students preparing for auditions (performance, college, and high school).

The 4 year struggle of being a self taught musician is something that sticks with me to this day. My passion for teaching stemmed from my willingness to share all the information I wish I knew when starting out that could have given me more time to hone my craft at an earlier age.

I have a strong drive to give back to music through teaching. I feel that music gave me a true universal outlet for communication, as the guitar is an extension of who I am and myinternal thoughts and feelings are being painted through sound for the audience. Because of music I perform regularly in the DC area and do session work along with teaching. I offer full support to my students, because at heart, I am the teacher, guide, and partner in their musical journey with a common goal. I strive to be the type of teacher that would’ve made a difference in my study when I was 10 years old learning alone and anything short of that I consider a personal failiure.