About
PLEASE READ: if you're making a request after reading my profile, please include a message. This lets me know that you're a real person looking to work on your music!
Anway...
I've been a professional musician since I was a teenager: whether it was rock, jazz, R&B, latin, reggae, hip hop, country, gospel, or even showtunes, my answer was always "yes!" This versatility has helped me develop a holistic and deep understanding of music, allowing me to go into any musical situation with confidence.
My goal is to show my students not just how to play an instrument, but how to get in the mindset of being a musical person so that they too, can contribute musical ideas in any setting, challenge themselves to grow independently, and ultimately understand the music they love.
I love the lightbulb moment when a student understands something they've been struggling with, though the biggest thing I look for is whether they sound better than the last time I saw them – that's the daily goal for all of us at every level.
Specialties
Musical styles
Guitar style
Has instrument
Years experience
Able to read music
Lesson length
Student's age
Reviews
Mike C.
Karen H.
Jim H.
Jared L.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I always start by figuring out what the student likes: I want them to enjoy what we're working on, so I use music they're familiar with to introduce new concepts they might not understand yet.
I've also developed a graduated curriculum to work from, which covers essential technical, critical thinking, and performance skills for everyone from absolute beginners music majors in college.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I do this thing for real!
On paper, I attended OSU's Jazz Studies program, but I consider my real alma matter to be the stage, which I've been very fortunate to share with colleagues of legends such as Miles Davis, Prince, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Merle Haggard, and many more, as well as contemporary artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Juice Wrld, and Justin Bieber.
In other words: I've done my 10,000 hours in REALLY good company.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I charge monthly for a weekly lesson. If a student has different needs we can work together to accomodate them.
How did you get started teaching?
I kind of fell into it- I come from a family of professors so I've always been very curious and quick to figure out processes for learning new things. Once I got serious about music I became the bandmember who coached people along and helped them figure out their parts.
In high school I ended up being a counselor at a music camp I had attended in middle school, which got me into directly teaching younger kids rather than only playing with my seniors and contemporaries.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
First, make sure they sound good: compare their playing to the records you like. Is the teacher as skilled as the people you admire? Do they know anything about the music you like? This is important because if your teacher can't perform at a high level, how do you expect them to help you get there?
Second, make sure you enjoy their company. You'll be spending a decent amount of time with them and they'll be giving you feedback so it won't be fun if you don't get along on a personal level.
Third, ask them: "If we're in the key of Ab, what would the chords be in this progression: 3 6 2 5 1 4, with a minor 2 5 to dominant 6?" If they don't respond with something along the lines of: "Cmi Fmi Bbmi Eb7 Ab Db, then Gmi7b5 and C7alt to F7." in about the amount of time it took to read this paragraph, you may want to look elsewhere—that's an easy question for most professional musicians!
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Really consider the music you like and what elements attract you—it's important to understand why you like it and have an idea of what you want to learn.
Remember that there's a ton of free information readily available to anyone: you and your potential teacher both have limited, valuable time, so consider whether it's a wise investment and if it is, make sure you utilize it to its fullest.