Guitar Lessons in Portland, OR

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Banjo Mandolin Fiddle Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Lately I’ve been really working on my jazz chops. Just can’t get enough of those V7#5’s!

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My mom is a pianist/flutist. At one point she taught music but never pressured me to embrace it, myself. There were always plenty of noise-makers around the house though while I was growing up.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I learned guitar and violin in such different contexts that, at the time, it almost didn’t occur to me that I was learning two instruments- one, at home from chord charts and tabs and the other, at school in orchestra class. It wasn’t until I was already in college for music that I discovered the missing links that made both instruments feel more like branches from the same tree. From there, adding mandolin, banjo, even multi-cultural instruments like the Bolivian charango and Thai saw-u has just been a game of finding the various differences between them.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I’d like to be woodworker- specifically a violin maker. I have about 1/2 a fiddle I’ve been building for years out in the garage and it’s already been a spiritual quest just getting it that far.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a degree in Violin Performance. I chose that path because, at the time, I felt I needed to develop a rigorous technical approach as a means to an end for expressing my musical ideas. It also ended up being a strategic midway point for being able to communicate with/learn from music industry and education majors.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
To successfully pair your instrumental and vocal technique. That doesn’t mean you need to be a great singer (I’m definitely not). What it does mean is- a masterful musician needs to be able to literally speak the music and to be able to shape phrases and ideas based off of natural linguistic cadence. For this to happen, they need to have not only reached a means to end with technique but, also, all of these aspects need to be integrated in such a way that they are literally the same thing (to the performer) as the musical feeing that needs to be produced.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Initially for portability (would you believe it?). I remember seeing other kids with cellos getting on the bus and thinking it wasn’t for me. I’ve definitely since come to appreciate all the high notes on my violin though.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I have had many teachers throughout my musical life and each one left a different and important impression on me. One teacher, in high school, made me believe that my music was important and needed to be heard. Another, in college, taught me that discipline is a sign of love for your art and that practice has to be part of your daily routine. I’ve had bandmates as teachers who have taught me when and when not to play and how to make my fiddle sound right in the mix.

When will I start to see results?
Results at first can be tedious, but I believe it’s important to start playing full pieces of music as soon as possible- sometimes that’s a melody or a tune, maybe even just a musical phrase.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
There is a definite size/physical developmental component to this and students should be able to be sized for the appropriate instrument in most music shops. Beyond that, how do they gravitate toward music and maybe even sound in general? Do they have an affinity for rhythms? I feel that these things play rather heavily into the question of “at what age a child is ready to start music lessons”. If it holds their attention or sparks their imagination at a young age they may be ready.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Don’t let practice become a static thing. Make it like life- different in some way every single day. Even if you’re working on the same old things, explore the nuances in them.

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