Perfect Storm Edu-tainment

I have been teaching and performing folk music for over fifty years, using guitar, 5 string banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer and ukulele. I have also worked as a teacher and tutor with various ages in public and private schools for fourteen years, and as a children's librarian for another twenty. All this experience, as well as personal temperament, has helped me develop patience, good listening skills, and the ability to break down techniques and teach them in an organized, effective manner, adapting my approach to the needs of different students.

Many instructors teach by rote, with students simply imitating their teachers' arrangements. My other experiences in classroom teaching and librarianship have led me to often employ discovery, invting students to figure out for themselves (with my assistance) how to play arrangements. I also work with students directly on developing their "ear" for music, which is so important for all styles, except possibly classical. In additional, I teach basic music theory, so students understand why they are doing what they do. this way they can become independent, creative musicians. I leave the decision of whether to learn to read music from the musical staff up to the student and, in some cases, parent.

I teach a wide variety of guitar techniques that form a strong foundation for different guitar styles and create an ideal setting for any song on the acoustic guitar. I have a large repertoire of songs and tunes within the realm of folk, old timey and bluegrass music. These techniques are basically the same for country music, and they include a lot of blues, particularly "country" or acoustic blues. I also work with students in developing accompaniment for songs in other styles that interest them.

Specific skills and techniques that I teach:

Guitar:

- Reading of guitar tablature (and basic music notation if desired)

- "open" and simple barred chords

- left hand ornamentation techniques - "hammering-on" a note, "pulling off," sliding up from one fret to another, "bending" notes

- Strumming varied rhythms with hand or flat pick

- 3 finger plucking & arpeggio patterns

- 2 finger "Travis" picking with alternating bass

- Carter family picking (pluck a bass string with thumb, strum down with hand and up with forefinger)

- Traditional flat picking (same as above, but all done with flat pick)

- Bass runs from one chord to another used with Carter Family or flat picking - Playing melody leads in fingerpicking, Carter Family picking & flatpicking

Tunings: Standard, dropped D, open G

5-string banjo:

Old timey up-picking

Old timey clawhammer

Old timey two and three finger picking

Bluegrass three finger (Scruggs style) picking - beginner and intermediate levels

8 basic bluegrass picking patterns and their variations

Playing chords up and down the fingerboard

Left hand ornamentations, including "hammering-on," "pulling-off," sliding, and bending notes.

I gradually introduce different patterns and techniques, and I always break down the techniques used in songs, rather than just teaching an arrangement note for note. This enables students to understand and hear what they are doing, so that they can become fully developed, independent players, developing their own arrangements of songs.

Tunings: Double C, Standard C, Mountain minor, Open G

Autoharp:

Basic accompaniment with finger picking rhythms

Playing melody with fingerpicking patterns

Mountain dulcimer: (Beginner & intermediate):

I most often use DAA tuning, with an emphasis for beginning players on playing simple melodies. This is the traditional dulcimer style and most easy to learn. Techniques I teach include:

- Playing melody with fingers or noter stick

- Adding simple harmonies

- Playng simple chords

- Fanning with a flat pick

- plucking arpeggios with fingers on slower songs

- Ornamening notes with left hand by hammering on, pulling off, and sliding

Tunings and modes: Ionian DAA, Dorian, Aeolian, and Mixlydian modes (DAA and DAD)

Ukulele (Beginner & intermediate):

Reading music to play single notes

Reading tablature

Playing chords

Strumming techniques

Finger picking

Music Teaching Experience:

Private and group guitar lessons at home: from 1962 to present

Private banjo lessons at ackson's Music Store, WS 2017 - present

Guitar classes – 2012-2013. Old Town Elementary School, Winston-Salem, NC

After school music program, Paideia School, Atlanta, GA – 1978-1984. Guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer

String band class, including guitar, banjo, autoharp and mountain dulcimer, Paideia School, Atlanta, GA – 1978-1980

Guitar and ukulele instruction, Laurel School, Knoxville, TN – 1971-1973

Guitar instruction- Herb David Guitar Studio, Ann Arbor, MI – 1968-1970

I love music and I love teaching people of all ages - from kids to senior adults. I enjoy the coaching process, helping my students gradually grow in their abilities and confidence. The personal 1 on 1 student-teacher relationship is a special, time honored process of passing on knowledge and skills.