"...People are taught to have too much respect for music; they should be taught to love it instead."
- Igor Stravinsky
Playing
guitar is my absolute passion in life, and I love nothing more than
helping others experience the joy of creating music. I consider myself
quite lucky that this is my job, to have the privilege of witnessing my
students' progress. Music is an essential expression of happiness and I
believe that learning (and teaching) an instrument should be a joyful
experience!
I accept students of all ages and have teaching locations in both Seattle and Bellevue.
My Background
I
am a classically-trained guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and
music teacher. I have studied classical guitar technique for over
seventeen years. I was trained in the Suzuki method by Eve Weiss and
later studied performance technique under Frederick Hand; I have also
studied music theory, composition, and songwriting with Allen Shawn and
Nicholas Brooke. Drawing on my classical education, I have taught
myself to play electric and acoustic steel string guitars as well and
become proficient in myriad styles of playing, from flamenco to jazz.
Nowadays I perform mostly original music, whether solo vocal/acoustic
songs with folk fingerpicking, or three-chord punk songs with my
band(s).
Teaching Philosophy
I was trained from
early on with the Suzuki method of instruction, and this informs my own
teaching philosophy more than any other. The Suzuki philosophy is
essentially the promotion of fluent musical understanding through the
method of learning with which all children learn their native language
(the "mother tongue" approach). This approach is extremely effective
and allows even very young children to obtain musical knowledge quite
naturally and without frustration. The improvisational, the
collaborative, and above all the creative aspects of playing music are
what I emphasize in teaching. I believe that a guitarist should have
not only technique, but a deep understanding of the instrument and of
music itself; I never ask a student to learn or practice something
without explaining why. All of my students learn music theory
and reading hand in hand with playing. I will teach you how to read a
Mozart sonata, to figure out the chords to a song on the radio, to play
with perfect classical hand technique, and to improvise with a jazz band
in the key of B flat - anything less would not be a true understanding
of the guitar.
I consider teaching to be a creative and
collaborative art, and not a series of rote recitations. Everyone has a
unique way of learning, a unique language with which they interpret
ideas, and figuring out how best to tap into one's innate artistic
perceptions is the key to unlocking any creative skill. I take the time
and energy to understand my students as individual scholars and help
them find their own unique relationship with music.
