Guitar Lessons in Shawnee Mission, KS

Instruments: Guitar

I have a working curriculum that I think accommodates many different aspects of music, with a focus on individual playing styles and capacities. I adhere to what the student would like to pursue as far as material and technical ability. Most often I find it best to listen to the student and probe for the skills, styles and qualities that he or she would like to employ and at least begin with methods in the desired genre. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass Classical Guitar

I am primarily an electric guitarist who has a fascination with composing/producing original music of a wide variety of styles. I was born into a musical family; I began taking classical lessons on piano at age six, and later upright bass at eight (guitar being a venture on my own accord that began somewhere in between). Though I consider guitar to be my main instrument, double bass allowed me to achieve considerable success in my high school years. Read More

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

I have used several curricula and books by Mel Bay, Alfred, Hal Leonard and others. But in the last 15 years I have developed and used mostly my own books and recordings which are very thorough. I started developing this curriculum out of necessity because there was no one book that helped my students from a beginner phase all the way through intermediate and advanced levels in guitar playing. I incorporate both music fundamentals in note reading with basic guitar friendly concepts in chording up to advanced open chords. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Drums Bass Guitar Harmonica Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I began playing guitar when I was 15, and it became an immediate obsession. Starting with rock and roll with bands like Nirvana and Sublime, I garnered a deep love for classic rock, specifically the bands Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Doors among many others. Early on, it became apparent that I wanted to pursue a career in music, and while still in high school, I began learning classical guitar, and jazz. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Ukulele Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

After college, I got a job in Kansas City, Kansas teaching vocal music to kindergarten through fifth-grade students. I led the classes with a guitar and taught students instrumental music with rhythm instruments, keyboards and guitars. We put on some awesome programs that the students helped to write. It was an amazing time! I was given the opportunity to be a part of the district-wide First Things First initiative, which was a major transformation of the way Kansas City School District educated students. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Voice Ukulele Music

For beginners, I always start with a classical approach, which stresses the importance of posture and breathing. We'll usually start with the First Book of [Voice Part]'s Solos and mix in one or two musical theater pieces. This is in tandem with learning how to warm up, learn pieces, what memorizing looks like, and how to emote. These are constantly evolving things that can be used with any skill level. Read More