Guitar Lessons in Plano, TX

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
For Classical Guitar, I use Christopher Parkening Books, Frederick Noad's books, my old teacher's song books, technique method books like Pumping Nylon, and A road to Virtuosity. For Jazz I use the Real Book, Transcriptions of solos, actual recordings via cd and the interwebs, I have people make compositions for solos and analyze them, we utilize singing, fun improvising with me, and a host of other methods. I also employ rhythmic study books, such as Polyrhythms: a musician's guide to learning polyrhythms, and many other books that have faded cover's but have you work on articulations which are generic but effective. In general, there's a book for everything.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have two degree's, both in Music Performance; one held as an Associates, and then the other as a Bachelor's. I chose them because I was genuinely interested in music as a field of study when given the option for career pathway's. After taking a few tests as well, they suggested that it would be a good fit for me. The rest is history so to speak, but that is really a cop out. I have fallen in love with the field of music. I am super passionate about it, and you will soon find out what I mean in person!

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am most thankful for having an exception set of trained ears. It's funny, I don't have perfect pitch, but my sense of relative is so reliable that you give me one note and I can figure out the rest. I also have broken through very many barriers to being expressive with my instruments. This takes time to cultivate, and so I am thrilled that now I can transfer those skills to any instrument, or even ideas in general! I know it sounds cheesy, but even getting my degree's is a wonderful thrill as well. When long term goals are achieved, I have found that those results propel me forward to reach even higher ground.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
I think developing a real sense of musicality plus technique is the pinnacle of virtuosity. What I mean is that technique can take years to achieve, but what good is that if you can't express deep emotions through the music? Likewise, if you have lots of instinctive musical potential lurking about, and about 80% of your technique is unrefined and not serving you needs, your reults will suffer and this can serve a means of discouragement. It may sound odd at first, but the hardest things to master on any instrument, let alone an instrument such as a classical guitar in which you are the sole orchestra player, will be the things that are non-tangible: your mind, your ability to listen, your energy, your focus, and your joy. Without those, technique and musicality are but a lofty dream.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Once again, this is an unorthodox answer, but it's true. I chose it because I wanted to move up to a more complete instrument after learning studying the drums in high school for 4 or so years. When asked to audition for a music program, I simply bought a guitar and did my best. The professors that were there just accepted me because of potential. Well, I ended learning how to sing with a striking keen aural accuracy, play piano, and then later saxophone and trumpet. Suffice to say that I love being able to experience music in different ways. My next project will be to learn piano even better so that I can graduate from that into a a full fledged organ player. Bam, full circle with being able to use all 4 limbs again! Such exciting times!

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
This may sound slightly unorthodox, but I was inspired by my peers. When I saw them play fancy on the drum set and move me with their rhythms, or come up with amazingly fresh improvisations right off the cuff, to wowing me with their ideas and charisma, they were truly my first inspirations. When I got to college, my music theory professor made a huge impact on me. That theory professor, David Shaw, was so full of enthusiasm when he taught that he really helped opened the door for me to learn from subsequent teachers with curiosity to see how far in depth I could take things. Long story short, I still haven't reached the bottum.

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