Guitar Lessons in Medina, WA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass

After graduating Whitman, I interned as a music teacher at the Spring Street International School in Friday Harbor, WA. I was mentored by a great teacher, Grisha Krivchenia and learned how to be a compassionate teacher. I helped teach composition, music theory,  small groups, bass and guitar. During the second half of the year, Grisha took a sabbatical and I  took over his duties. While in Friday Harbor, I also taught upright bass, electric bass and piano privately.  I currently lead a after school music club in Bellevue. I work with five to seven students helping them gain skills on their instruments (bass, guitar, piano, drums, vocals) and learn to play together in a group setting.

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Trombone Bass Guitar Euphonium Tuba

My primary goal as an instructor as well as a performer is to create a life long passion for music and personal growth within each of my students, and making sure that each student enjoys and looks forward to their lessons each week is intregal to this goal. Whether an adult, child, beginner, or advanced, realizing the students motivation and personal goals for each lesson is important to tailoring lessons to each persons unique abilities and preferences. Music is fun and I strive to keep it that way!

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

For beginning guitar students, I use the Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1 as supplemental material. For beginning bass students I use the Hal Leonard Bass Method Book 1 also as supplemental material. For advanced and intermediate students, the supplement material will vary depending on their experience and what they specifically want to get out of music lessons.

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began playing guitar at a young age, prompted by my infatuation with classic rock music as I idolized such groups as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Beatles, and many more. This was only the beginning of a life long intimate relationship with music and guitar playing. Since my first introduction to the guitar my musical tastes quickly expanded as I established a love for blues and all of its incarnations, from Chicago Blues to the varying acoustic and electric styles found in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Texas among other places. Through high school I played in rock and blues bands writing original music and getting my first real experiences as a composer and a bandleader. High School was also the place where I discovered my interest in Jazz music as I began playing guitar in the school's Jazz band. Following high school I began playing more jazz music as I attended Bellevue College studying theory and composition with Dr. Brian Cobb and guitar performance with Mark Hillard Wilson. After this I soon met renowned Jazz Guitarist Chris Spencer with whom I studied with for years to follow. I eventually found himself at Cornish College of the Arts where I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Music Composition. While at Cornish I had the opportunity to play guitar and compose for Jazz Orchestra, Latin Jazz ensemble, and Modern Jazz groups while playing under the direction of internationally know musicians and composers such as Wayne Horvitz, Tom Varner, Jovino Santos Neto and Chuck Deardorf. In the realm of composition I studied privately with composers Jarrad Powell and Tom Baker, with a deep focus in contemporary classical music. After college I worked as a composer for a few years writing music for theater and dance as well as doing residencies with different Seattle based companies. Currently I spend my time working as a guitar player in Seattle while also writing chamber music for various ensembles and art groups. I perform on a regular basis with a variety of groups in the Seattle area.