Guitar Lessons in Furlong, PA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

My teaching style is based on whatever the goals of my student are. If my student shows an interest in being able to play a particular piece, then we are working step by step to reach that goal by building up to it. If they want to write their own music in a particular style, then I am helping them analyze music that they are influenced by to better understand how to add it to their vocabulary. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Violin Cello Viola Bass Guitar Electric Violin Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

You can not use a "one size fits all" kind of approach when teaching an instrument. It is important to me that the student is involved in creating their musical journey, which means each lesson I teach and the way that I teach it will be different. I understand that not everyone learns the same way, and what may work for one student may not work for another. One of the things that has made me a better teacher is that I learn from my students. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I knew that I wanted to be a teacher before I ever touched a guitar. Growing up in a family of school teachers allowed me to see the broad spectrum of the educaGonal process, from designing lesson plans to filing report cards, and I quickly realized that a teacher doesn’t stop working when the bell rings. Teaching history out of a textbook is one thing...teaching a student to hear the color of an altered dominant chord is a totally different beast. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I have an open approach to teaching guitar, and encourage students to utilize knowledge obtained through my lessons in whatever context they prefer as opposed to gearing them towards a certain style of playing. Much of my own teaching was based in jazz, but I have managed to find myself utilizing much of what I was taught playing in a heavy, shoegazey rock band. The preferences of my students are important to me, and while setting goals for progress is important, it is important to me that students learn at their own pace and move forward on their own initiative. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

I began teaching the summer before my last year of my undergrad (summer of 2012) I worked at a few studios outside Pittsburgh (Batavia Studios in Mars, PA and Manella Guitars in Monroeville.) Since moving to NJ I got a couple more gigs as a teacher through recommendations (Westerhoff School of Music and Art in Metuchen and Music Tech in South Brunswick.) I also have a few private students. Last summer I worked at the Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute, a one week summer camp for high school kids. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Synthesizer Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Over the years I have taught at many schools including School of Rock. I've taught students the basics of technique and music theory on guitar, I've taught students vocal technique and health, and I've even taught songwriting, composition, and electronic music production. When teaching, I've always found it helpful to have a variety of styles and approaches. Students can learn just as much from a rock song as they can from a jazz tune, an EDM track, or even classical music. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Flute Harmonica Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

There are often good lessons that go along with these pieces, and I pick pieces that are famous for good reason! For students of any level, it is useful to have a combination of repertoire that is more challenging, and pushes my students to see beyond their current skill level, as well as repertoire that allows them to enjoy the expression that is possible with their current skill level. There are 4 components to every lesson, and for me, every practice sessions as well: warm up exercises, technical exercises, repertoire, and play (aka performing the repertoire, improvising, writing music, etc). Read More