Guitar Lessons in Orlinda, TN

Instruments: Guitar Music Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Beginner students and I generally start our lessons with Mel Bays Guitar Method 1 and Intermediate to Advanced students and I start with William Levitts Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 2. When students have mastered the fundamentals of their specific lessons I work with them on songs of their choosing and we put those fundamentals into practice. The books that we use for our lessons are merely a guidance to give us a unified vision. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Music Keyboard Acoustic Guitar

My love for playing and learning about music began as a 5th Grader Trumpeter in the School Band. I transitioned to singing in Choirs and Musicals in High School and performed as a Church Cantor. I went on to study Vocal Performance at Vanderbilt University, where I discovered the joy of Songwriting on the Piano and Guitar. After college, I continued performing and teaching with The University of Alabama Opera Theatre. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Ukulele

As I continue to develop as an educator, my focus has moved towards a more student-centered learning process. Students learn musically in all different ways including visual, kinesthetic, aural, and oral modalities. It is up to the teacher to figure out in which ways a particular student learns best. In some cases, a method book such as the Bastien Method may be best and for others, a more free style of learning may work better. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Trumpet Bass Guitar Ukulele Double Bass

I've touched on this briefly above, but, my main focus in teaching a student is always to help them find their own musical voice. For beginners this means, not only helping them learn the rudiments and basics of music, but also exposing them to various styles and approaches they may not otherwise encounter. Usually, this will lead a student to a level of inspiration where they see the learning of a musical instrument as a lifetime commitment and a journey that is constantly exciting and demanding. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice

My teaching experience dates back to high school, when I was a surfing instructor in Huntington Beach, California. I love helping people achieve their goals. I starting teaching music after graduating from college in 2010, when I trained to become a professional Vocal Coach at Songbird Studios in San Francisco. I fell in love with teaching vocal technique, performance skills, and songwriting to a wide age range of students--as young as 6 and as old at 75! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Although my methods vary a bit depending on the instrument, the general plan is the same. For beginner students of instruments I focus first on fundamentals, such as finger placement, note names, what makes up chords so forth (again with a high emphasis on practice). I will gladly print out hard copies of chord sheets, note names, songs with chord markers if desired, or can display these digitally! For beginner students of voice, I start by teaching proper breathing, different parts of the voice, warm ups, and assessing the students vocal range. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Mandolin Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I start with students by asking them what they want to accomplish on whatever instrument we're working on, and that will change the way the lessons progress. After the basics, if they want to study classical music, contemporary, or just strengthen the basic skills they have, then we progress from there. This could mean sticking to Hal Leonard books, learning songs, diving deeply into theory, or understanding the world of improvisation. Read More