Guitar Lessons in Kansas City, MO

Instruments: Guitar Bass Guitar Double Bass Classical Guitar

From 2006 to 2010 I sat first chair in the symphonic orchestra at Lees Summit West High School (Lees Summit, MO) and was even a member of the Missouri All-State Orchestra all four years. From 2011 to 2014 I earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Production at the McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, MN. Since then I have had the pleasure of teaching many guitar and bass students of all ages and experience levels, and I hope to continue to do so while I am not composing! Read More

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: Piano Guitar Voice Organ Ukulele Recorder Keyboard Djembe

For beginner's, I do typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements books. For intermediate, I'll evaluate what materials they've used thus far in their lessons and go from there. If someone is familiar with a set of books in a positive way, there's no reason to change the books they're using. I do believe, however, there is profit in a variety of repertoire, so a diverse lesson is key. I have learned from experience that simply learning one genre (classical, jazz, showtunes) is less desirable than having a familiar ear to multiple styles. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Saxophone Flute Drums Bass Guitar Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I don't believe in a one size fits all mentality for music education, I've often seen this approach derail students from enjoying the process and eventually terminating their relationship with music overall. Students are a case-by-case basis, and in that regard, each lesson is catered to the students actual goals and interests. I believe in training our ears and our sense of rhythm to a point where the student can figure things out and make artistic decisions on their own and use lessons, less as a tutorial, but as a source of inspiration to pursue the things that brought them here in the first place. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Synthesizer

I currently have my own home studio where I run Pro Tools. I perform in a rock band playing rhythm and lead guitar as well as some keyboard/ synthesizer work. We have played many benefit shows as well as paying gigs and we recently released an album that I engineered and produced. I love making music as well as learning and teaching. I love watching others as well as myself grow musically. Read More

Instruments: Guitar Saxophone Flute Clarinet Ukulele Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

For all of my students I incorporate fundamental methods of playing technique and musical concepts to ensure steady musical progress. Many teachers (especially for guitar/ukulele) simply play along with students to pre-recorded songs or songs that the student picks. This can result in a student skipping around and trying to learn musical concepts out of order. This does not give students the confidence to play or approach songs independently. Read More