Guitar Lessons in Mount Baldy, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

After graduating from school, I focused on teaching children how to read sheet music and play the piano and guitar within parochial schools, public elementary schools, private in-home lessons, and instructed adults for the Continuing Education Music Programs located within Rockland County, New York and Orange County, California.Today, I teach privately in my students homes and my home music studio, and privileged to share music with special education students on a weekly basis. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Trumpet Saxophone Flute Clarinet Bass Guitar Ukulele Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I had to create "wiggle room" for following his joy whilst remaining instructionally relevant. Other students require more structure, have different musical passions, etc. so I follow that accordingly and when required draft precise, singular goal oriented lesson plans. Humbly though, I would say that Adam taught me to improvise on an a higher level than I'd ever been asked to or thought possible, which for a jazz musician is really saying something. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Violin Saxophone Bass Guitar Organ Acoustic Guitar

First of all, I would ask the student if music would be his/her career or just a hobby. If it is to be his/her career, my approach would be more theoretical. But if it would be just a hobby like mine, I would encourage the student to learn by ear supplemented with a little theory to be able to learn a musical piece or song in the shortest time possible. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginners, I like to either start by asking their favorite kind of music, bands, etc. I can also try showing them cool, guitar friendly music that they may be interested in. From there, I develop a personalized syllabus for the student based in their preferences, strengths and weaknesses. Also, slowly but surely I introduce and explain music theory and start working with basic books such as A Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

First and foremost, lessons should be fun. I like to keep a positive attitude, along with patience and understanding, since learning an instrument can be a bit intimidating. I'm very encouraging, and might even give a good rock n' roll yell once the student is grasping a certain song or chord structure. There's nothing more rewarding than when I see my students have that "Aha!" moment and feel confident in what they are learning. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Drums Accordion Ukulele Mallet Percussion Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

I've found that being flexible and adaptible is most important to me, as everyone learns in a different way. I place a lot of importance on following student interest and goals as well, since it doesn't matter how great your instruction is if you're bored and don't want to keep playing. I think every student should get as much out of their lesson experience as they want, whether that means a more casual experience where you're not practicing too much throughout the week, or holding my student more accountable if they express more ambitious goals. Read More

Instruments: Guitar

I have over 20 years of experience teaching classical guitar, music theory, and history to students of all ages and levels. My academic background includes a Doctorate in Music from the University of Montreal, a Masters in Guitar Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK, and an Advanced Certificate from the University of Toronto. Ive taught in private studios, universities, and music schools, and have prepared students for RCM and ABRSM exams, competitions, and university auditions. Read More