Guitar Lessons in Revere, PA

Instruments: Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I continued on to practice regardless, but it was out of duty and not out of passion. Knowing those feelings and where they come from is key for a music educator, because it is important to know strategies to avoid replicating those situations in your own students. I frequently incorporate the student's musical tastes and choices into their lessons. If my student is at an age where they can "jam" with others, we will typically jam together, or if they have friends at a similar age and skill level, I encourage them to have a jam session where I can listen in and participate (and I can spot-check my student for technique and ask critical questions about their performance). Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Music Electric Guitar

While students arrive to my lessons with an array of different skills, I always make sure they have the fundamentals of music down; such as keeping a consistent rhythm and ensuring the notes choices are harmonically pleasing and intentional based on the piece. Making sure the student is learning what they enjoy learning as well as what I feel are the necessary next steps to improve their skills are essential in the learning process no matter what age the student is. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Trumpet Trombone Harmonica Ukulele Euphonium Tuba Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements, especially for brass instruments. I also tend to mix in some fun songs that are more well known using my own arrangements. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Lute Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

What I have found works best with semi-slow but significant results is the idea of 'planting seeds'. I describe this concept quite regularly with my students, and what I mean by it is that we will often talk about important musical ideas and simply make the student aware of what's happening. They may not totally understand it right away, but the seed is planted. We start off planting many seeds and sometimes the same seed multiple times. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Ukulele Mandolin Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

In addition to teaching material directly, I prefer to cultivate the skill of teaching oneself. Instead of scripting the direction of the students growth I help them to follow their own path by accentuating the qualities that make them special and removing technical roadblocks. My own education straddles many schools (rock, jazz, folk/bluegrass, classical, hip-hop, dance, experimental, funk, etc.), formal and informal. But standardized music education leads to standardized music! Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Music Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

Through initial funding from NIKE, I and my wife Karen produced personalized pace exercise music for runners and walkers. This commissioned work led to his developing walking and running tapes endorsed by PREVENTION Magazine and recommended in hundreds of national and international publications such as the WASHINGTON POST. My first solo record album is entitled Freedom Flight, on Lamb Lion Records which features production services from Larry Norman, Paul Stookey, Tom Howard, and Wendell Burton (actor lead in Sterile Cookoo with Liza Minnelli). Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar

If they want to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix, than we'll start with electric guitar fundamentals, focusing on classic RB styles, blues lead, and the overlap between scales and chord voicings up and down the neck. The point is, with an instrument as widely and diversely employed as the guitar, there is no single right way to teach it; it must be taught to the interests and passions of the student learning it! Read More