About
I take great care to personalize each student's lesson plan to match their goals and interests. For those who are interested in learning all of the theory behind a song or piece of music, I'm happy to teach it to you. For those who just want to strum along to their favorite songs, I'm just as happy to help you do that. I have been teaching guitar to students of all ages and skill levels for nine years. My formal guitar training is mostly in jazz guitar, but my theory training has consisted of both jazz and classical. While my primary instrument is the guitar, I am also available for bass guitar lessons. My qualifications include a minor in jazz guitar from The Ohio State University School of Music and a decade of teaching experience.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Usually the first lesson consists mostly of getting an idea of the student's current skill level, goals, and getting a feel for the student's personality (laid back, ambitious, focused, mellow, etc.). For beginners, this doesn't take long so most of the first lesson will be instruction. With more experienced players, I need to get an idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are so the process takes slightly longer. After the lesson, I come up with a loose lesson plan that would help the student reach their goals.
How did you get started teaching?
I started teaching by offering tutoring to other students while I was in school. I've always been a fan of spreading helping others understand new concepts and improve skills. After surpassing my first guitar teacher, it was only natural that I decided to start teaching guitar. I taught all throughout high school and college. In addition to private lessons during my time at OSU, I was also a teaching assistant for an introduction to guitar class.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with students of nearly all ages and experience levels. My youngest student was around 11 years old and my oldest student is around 60 years old. In terms of skill levels, I've had complete beginners and students who have already been playing for years and are looking to either expand their knowledge or to sharpen particular skills.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Look for someone who's willing to help you reach YOUR goals! There's some teachers out there who will tell you that you NEED to learn certain things. This may be true if your goal is to become a professional guitar player, but if you're just trying to have fun playing music the only concepts and skills you need are the ones that get you to that goal. The lesson plan for someone who wants to play folk songs around a camp-fire shouldn't resemble the lesson plan for someone who wants improvise solos with sweep-picked arpeggios.
At the end of the day, learning to play an instrument should be a fun experience. The "best" teacher is the one who will make lessons as fun for you as possible.