Dan D
Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Funk, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul
Dan D
Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel, Musical Theater, Funk, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova, Soul
Where I Teach:
In Your Home
My Studio
Online
Ages Taught: 10-80
ABOUT
Degrees / Training / Special Info:
BA Religion, North Carolina Wesleyan College MA, PhD, Philosophy, The American University No specific degrees in music but a lifetime of study and practice in sight-reading, ear training, music theory and cultural influence of music throughout history.
Awards:
1960's - Present - Observing how my students learn and how audiences appreciate my performances is accomplishment and reward enough for me.
Overview:
I am an instructor with a passion for learning, performing and teaching music. I fully enjoy working with students who want to learn how to play guitar, bass, ukulele because I like to inspire and foster my love of music and pass it along to others. While I have an advanced educational background in humanities disciplines, I am mostly self-educated in music. It's a lifelong learning experience of more than 40 years that has led me to perform in local pop, rock, country and jazz groups and to teach music as a way to share my gifts and talents. I hope I can share it all with you, too.
EXPERIENCE
I started teaching private lessons on guitar and bass in the mid-1970's, after playing for about 10 years. If you want to learn to play, you have to practice. It is a physical and mental exercise that is a significant challenge to any beginnner and and on-going project that you can work on for your entire life. That's why I emphasize, encourage and enable you with many methods and techniques to keep yourself focused on praciticing, rehearsing and performing so it becomes part of your daily routine. If you want to develop your own musical ideas, I also love to work on how to compose original material, including music and lyrics. I'm always looking to bring on new students of all ages!
METHODS USED
I focus on 3 fundamental aspects of music education: sight-reading, music theory and ear training. I will typically use a method book like the Berklee Basic Guitar: Phase 1 and 2 or Berklee Modern Guitar Method: Volumes 1,2,and 3, for advanced students. I also use Hal Leonard and other methods that may be more appropriate for some students. My method includes extensive use of online video and tutorial resources, plus the "Play Guitar for Life" video series that I can make available for interested students. In all cases, I asses the interests, abilites and commitment of all my students and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter what your level of learning happens to be.
LESSON STYLE
My teaching style is casual, friendly and positive. Eveyone progresses at a different pace, so I set realistic goals and use different approaches based on the various learning styles -- visual, tactile and auditory -- that work best for each individual. I play along with you in unison, in accompaniment and in duets, starting with the very beginning lessons. I want even the simple things to sound good when you play them because that is what motivates you to keep learning more and more. I try to find what inspires and motivates YOU, so I can craft my instruction to meet your specific wants and needs.
PHOTOS & VIDEOS
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