Music Lessons in Fresno, CA

Anthony R

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My older Sister played the Flute in the School Orchestra, soon she taught me how to read music. After a neighbor gave a reel to reel machine, I soon started to learn music verbatim. My Daughter's are currently learning from me. But since they raided my old vinyl records, they are starting to enjoy more of the older Rock Music from the past, more so than today's Music.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
As soon as the bands I was in, started to become in demand of Club Owners . People / other guitarists in other bands wanted to take lessons from me, back in the mid 1980's. It drive me to become more technical and precise. Nothing was more inspiring that being in a band that let me do a five to ten minute guitar solo spot , that would fire up an audience . Moments like that are priceless and beyond any explanations.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I recently bought a bass, so I can start recording my own Music. Just like doing your own guitar repairs, of no one can do it, you may as well do it 6our self .

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
Music has been the focus of my Life, since hearing, Jimi Hendrix's live version of "Here My Train A Comin' " and Eddie Van Halen's , "Eruption", back in the 1970's.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
Classic Rock ( 1964 -1979), 1980's Metal, Neo Classical Metal, Thrash, Speed Metal and Flamenco / Classical Guitars , made me appreciate exacting guitar technique to go beyond my playing confirm zone. I basically a huge fan of anything guitar oriented . I love the lush chord voicing of Blues. Especially, how it incorporates many facets of some wind instruments and Piano style of Toads . As for Rock Genres, the intense Staccato picking, Legato Smoothness, Two Handed Tapping and Fast Arpeggios.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Find people who are beyond hobbyist to perform some of my compositions that are eclectic and diverse in music genre. Hopefully, that will change in the future .

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I was lured out of a Semester at M.I. in Hollywood in 1988, by a local Music Promoter, for auditioning for bands on the Sunset Strip. I have four Semesters of Music Theory at a local Community College I was making at least $400.00 a week from the students on campus, much to the shagrins of the Faculty in Campus .

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
For myself and students, I work on my ignorance and weakness's on the Guitar And I try to show them things to explore the fretboard and for them to receive inspiration to go places, Musically, where their hands and minds have never gone before

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Techniques on the Guitar are some times a barrier to most of my students I learned over the years on how to break my student learning blocks about Music Theory, it's the use of learning the Music Theory and Techniques behind their favorite songs.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
Hal Leonard's books are very good for many levels of Guitar Players needs , as well as books from Cherry Lane Publishing . A book that I highly recommend to the Intermediate students, is Joe Satriani's book, that is publish by Cherry Lane , is Joe Satriani's, " Guitar Secrets" book, published in 1988.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Learn you favorite Music, learn the techniques and Music Theory behind your favorite songs, take lessons and just when you Mastered one style, their are more styles of Guitar Playing to learn from . Target your Musical weaknesses and bias's by learning from all styles. You will be surprised from learning other Genres of Music and applying it to your Genre of Music .

Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
Some have moved to Las Vegas, Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles to become Professional Studio or Touring Musicians . Many have gone on to Juliard School Of Music or the Music Institute in Hollywood, California.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I was able to support myself as a touring musician back in the 1980's and as a Private Guitars Instructor. And seeing myself help others achieve mastery of the Guitar to become Professional Musicians .

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
The ease of transporting a guitar. I started when Guitar was king, guitarists, like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Schenker, Randy Rhoads , Eddie Van Halen and many countless others, pushed me to learn more .

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
Eddie Montoya, inspired me to play guitar and taught me how to tune a guitar and taught me basic chords Lali from Redbone, taught me the intro to Jimi Hendrix's ,"Hey Joe" and it increased my desire to learn more. Dan Mablot, he taught me the basics of Chord Progressions, basic Music Theory and the art of Transcribing thru basic Ear Training . Plus, I got a reel to reel help me play my favorite songs verbatim . Students are also my inspiration and are helpful to exposing me to new music in my growth as Musician and Guitar Instructor.

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