Guitar Lessons in Morningside, MI

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began teaching guitar lessons in my home studio while I was still in college. I encourage frequent practice on a consistent schedule. When I began playing as a teenager, I practiced for up to 11 hours each day. There is no way that I could expect any of my students to possibly do that, but I do stress the importance of practicing often while keeping things fun. I also encourage my students to keep an open mind and listen to all genres of music, as there is something that can be learned from each genre, from metal to jazz to classical. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Keeping my students positive and inspired is my goal when teaching, and nothing is more inspiring than hitting landmarks and seeing your own progress! I encourage my students to learn at their own pace, and remind them that learning a skill is not a one size fits all scenario. I encourage my students to be as experimental, open minded and curious as possible. Setting realistic goals is always how I end every lesson, as you should always have a goal you're working to achieve. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I teach students from beginners through adults and tailor each lesson to the individual. My teaching style combines structured concepts from method books with real examples from well-known songs to help students understand how music works in a practical way. I regularly ask students about their interests and goals and either teach those directly or suggest related material that helps them progress. During lessons, I record short demonstration videos and provide detailed tabs with practice notes so students leave with clear guidance on what to work on between sessions. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Trumpet Drums Electric Guitar

I have many years of teaching experience, from high school marching percussion lines to private percussion and guitar lessons to teaching in a public school setting. I have been a band director for concert and marching band, as well as jazz band, guitar classes, music theory and general music. I am now teaching K-8 general music classes. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Trombone Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Double Bass Euphonium Tuba Orchestral Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For each instrument, I have the same basic approach: discover what they like, assess what they can do, and begin with the fundamentals.  If a student is more advanced, I still like to spend time on fundamentals at the beginning anyway to see if we can fill in any foundational weakness that the student may have.   For each instrument, I also have a wide array of repitoire that I give students that zero-in on technical challenges a student will be presented with. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums

To me it is very important to balance the technical and creative aspects of development. No matter what age/skill level I split time during lessons into activities that develop technique and language, and compositional, creative activities that help each student explore their instrument and what they have to say with it. This balance can be altered depending on the interests of the student or parent. I also encourage students to bring in songs that they want to learn/play along with to keep the lessons relevant to their musical interests. Read More