Matt Laurence
1 hire on Lessons.com
1 employee
13 years in business
About this pro
I'm a professional musician in Nashville, and there's a lot of shortcuts that I would teach beginners/intermediate players that would save a lot of time. I went to school for music (as many others did) but I still didn't get the full story.
I have experience playing all contemporary styles of music like pop, rock, R&B, blues, country and gospel.
After graduating school in 2013, I've been playing professionally for 7 years. Since moving to Nashville, I've had the opportunity to study at Victor Wooten's Center for Music and Nature and had to chance to share stages with Victor Wooten, Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, sax), Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers, Dead & Co., bass) and Bob Francheschini (J-Lo, Paul Simon, sax). I'd later be mentored by Victor Wooten and take private lessons with his brother Regi.
Spending time with them has dramatically changed the way I look at and teach music. Learning to explain concepts like being a "natural", playing with "feeling" and simplicity are the most powerful things I learned from them.
I love helping my students have the "light-bulb" moment when they finally get something they've had a hard time understanding. I love seeing the growth of my students as it's rewarding for the both of us, and just to talk about music since that's what I love.
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Credentials
Nashville, TN 37214
Email verified
Phone verified
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taking lessons with Matt to improve “band” chops. I do alot of personal work, but band scenerio’s are few and far between. Teacher: PRO’s: Laid back , yet “sharp”. Presents material in a digestible way. 98% of the time isn’t talking “over you”. Good at identifying weaknesses. In my case this is helpful, because I can’t afford not to hear about them. Matt brings a lot of tangible “real world” music experience. If you want to learn soul, pop,blues, country, or r&b Matt is a GREAT choice. CON’s Lessons over zoom make it hard to improvise between teacher-student Sometimes goes over things that I’m aware of (but maybe not executing well that day) and we spend alot of time on it. (Mind you, I’m a player that does better with 1-2 hours of warm up). Price is fair, the teacher deserves the fee and delivers, but maybe some sort of “package” of 5-10 lessons would be nice , to save over $ over time. (maybe I’m a cheap skate? idk) All in all, I think Matt deserves a 5 star rating . Under my own review system, I’d probably actually rate it at 4.45/5 , but he’s definitely well above a 4 star, so there you go.
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Great to learn from and teaches different techniques during lessons. Thanks! Will be back
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Just started doing some lessons, he gave me some great resources to practice until the next lesson. He was also able to answer all the questions I had, including about music theory
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very considerate and patient teacher, flexible and willing to teach what the situation asks for. I had my first lesson in a year with Matt and already getting the hang of singing and playing at the same time. Great teacher
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FAQs
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I usually start by getting a feel of where the students are currently at and by learning what the students would like to learn, then starting the steps to start a foundation of music to build on.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I graduated SUNY Orange in NY in 2013 with a degree in Jazz/commercial music then started studying with Regi Wooten for a year when I came to Nashville.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
$50/hour or $25/half hour
How did you get started teaching?
I started teaching Oak Hill Elementary in at the end of 2019 teaching private lessons for their after school program. Since then, I've taught online during quarantine.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with all ages, from young kids to adults.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Pick someone that is going to make sure that you understand the information that's being told. My mentor would always say "if you can't explain it simply, you don't know it well enough"
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Think about 2 goals that you'd like to achieve through doing lessons, whether it's learning to play X song, learning more chords, soloing or just getting through your first song.