Guitar Lessons in Galena, IL

Instruments: Guitar

I am a passionate and encouraging music instructor specializing in guitar, music theory, and songwriting. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music in Songwriting Guitar Performance. I have gigged extensively in the Boston area and Midwest as a singer/songwriter, performed on various studio sessions, co-written songs in several genres, and played guitar for other musicians. My music has been featured on college radios and online blogs, and I have been fortunate enough to play the Berklee Performance Center, Faneuil Hall, and Harvard Square. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Ukulele Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba Electric Guitar Djembe

In essence, my love of teaching stems from my Mom's love of teaching. She sincerely desired to teach my siblings and myself to pursue our highest dreams. It turned out that I did succeed as a star performer in music, on stages around the world. But also, when I decided to settle down, I added education to my 10-year plan. So, I went back to school for another master's degree, and taught music in CPS - performing three nights per week with my the Bartels/Benson duo, Connexion Band, Prohibition Orchestra, Bryan Skyler Trio, and other groups. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums

I started teaching towards the end of high school and continued in college and beyond! I found it beneficial to be teaching students while still being a student myself. Having great teachers in my life has shaped my own approach to teaching. I discovered that when I was able to study what I was truly excited about, my capacity to learn and improve my craft increased exponentially! To that end, I encourage students to bring in original material as well as "covers" that they are interested in to build a repertoire. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I started teaching in the South Suburbs of Chicago in 2003, at a store called Ancient Music.  Shortly after that, I started teaching at a store called Melody, before I took on students on my own.  I took a hiatus from teaching because of some physical problems until 2012, when I started teaching at a place called Down Home Guitars in Frankfort Il.  In 2015 I started teaching at the Beverly Arts Center. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginners and intermediate drummers, I teach Hal Leonard's Drum Set Methods as well as rudiment drum pad training exercises designed to build control and confidence when stroking. Once students have learned the fundamentals and are using all four limbs to create drum patterns, I individualize my lessons for the drummer, making sure they are getting what they want out of the lessons while still staying sharp on notation, pad practice, drumming diction, etc. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

I first picked up a guitar when I was 13 years old. I played and took lessons from a great teacher all through high school, but didn't think it was a viable career option, so I went to college for physics. Eventually, I got very serious about my guitar playing, and ended up moving to Boston to study jazz performance at Berklee. While I was studying physics, I always had a part time job teaching guitar lessons, and really developed a passion for it. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Notebooks! I'm a big believer in writing things down so before your lesson, don't only bring your guitar but also a notebook to write down what we learned, and what you should practice before our next lesson. It is vital that students have a physical reminder of our lessons and the techniques we covered, because in my experience, I've found this really helps with not only learning but retaining the information we go over. Read More