Gift Certificates Available. SHOP NOW!
Home
Studio
I have been playing the guitar professionally for over 30 years. In the 1980s, I played electric guitar (classic rock) in a band called Purple Mountains, playing cover songs of the Rolling Stones (including their open tunings for the guitar).
I also l played Bluegrass mandolin, fiddle and guitar on stage, since the 1980s, and continue to now, at Boba's Internet Café and PJ Dolan's Irish Pub/Grille, both in Tampa, photos of which are in this profile.
Earlier on, I graduated with a BA from the City University of New York, where I took some music courses. I played at City College of New York with who is now one of the finest banjo players in the world, Bela Fleck.
I have been teaching the Violin/Fiddle, MANdolin (cousin of the VIOlin), and guitar for over 20 years. I enjoy teaching, and this often carries over to my students, who thus become very at ease, with me and my teaching methodology. Both the teaching and the learning are FUN, in my lessons.
I've always found that being relaxed (both student and teacher) keeps the lessons on an even plane, and especially helps the student to finger chords, switch from chord to chord, & navigate the fingerboard.
I am a diverse musician of stringed instruments, specializing in electric and acoustic guitar, violin/fiddle, and mandolin. My genres range from classic rock, to Bluegrass, Country, and Blues. On the guitar, I play and teach both flatpick and fingerpicking styles. In classic rock, I teach such recording artists as the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton (Cream), and Neil Young. On the Rolling Stones songs, I teach both standard tuning songs (Ruby Tuesday, Dead Flowers, etc), and open Tunings used by Keith Richards (Brown Sugar-G, Gimme Shelter-E)
On the violin/fiddle, and mandolin, I teach, nice baroque pieces like Rights of Man (E minor) and later 19th century (Off to California aka Passage in G Major). In addition, I play & teach old time fiddle tunes like Arkansas Traveler, Soldier's Joy, & Ragtime Annie, and Bluegrass songs/instrumentals. I also teach a variety of just nice, popular songs like America the Beautiful, Jingle Bells, & You Are My Sunshine. All of this includes keys, chords, scales, and theory.
Regardless of which instrument(s) my student is learning, I generally teach at the pace of the student. I never rush a student, and I keep with a scenario that is COMFORTABLE for both of us. Being relaxed is important to learning, and I always stress having students' hands relatively loose while holding and playing their instrument. I have lesson plans that I devise myself, while referring slightly to instructional videos and books also. I love teaching these musical instruments, and I would teach everyone in the whole world, if it were possible. - lol
Rating from the Better Business Bureau
If you are not satisfied after your trial lesson, you will not be charged and we can match you with another teacher.
© Copyright 2001 - 2020 Musika All Rights Reserved
Select all the days/times the student would be available to start lessons. Selecting "3pm - 7pm" means the student can start as early as 3pm or start as late as 7pm. It is important that you select as many days and the widest window of start times for each day as possible. That will help us make a match with one of our teachers.
OkAre you sure that's your only availability? The more availability you easier it will be to arrange a teacher for you.
