Barry R  
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Funk, Reggae, Swing, Soul, Punk

I began teaching lessons 8 years ago when I was 16.  I was heavily involved in my church's music program and I began with a few students who were fairly young.  By the time I was 18, I was teaching over 15 lessons a week to students ranging from 4 to 45 years old.  During my college years I was in school full-time, so I taught a small number of students on and off; however the experience I gained at Berklee significant increased the quality of education I'm able to give a student.  In college I extensively studied music theory, music technology, composition and arranging as well as performance techniques of electric and acoustic bass.  For the past year most of my work has come from performing with artists and bands in Nashville, and although I've played many different instruments professionally, I've had the most experience playing electric bass.

Because I teach only part-time, I have a limited number of students so I'm able to create custom lesson plans for each individual.  My goal for a first meeting with any student is to get to know the student.  I want to know what music the student is into, what they want to focus on, why they're taking lessons and what their goals are.  From there I can create a lesson plan that is a productive balance of fun, intriguing, challenging and fulfiling.  I've found that the right combination of these elements almost always generates success for any student, beginning to advanced.  I also feel that it's important for a student to have a strong understanding of music theory, because in the long run it will dramatically improve their proficiency on their instrument, and their overall understanding of music.