Guitar Lessons Solano County, CA

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar

My teaching experience dates back to high school, when I tutored fellow students in Mathematics. I went on to teach music at UC Santa Cruz as a member of the music department, including teaching an original course I developed entitled "Sound, Listening, and Consciousness". My dissertation research included inquiries into cognition, learning, as well as educational methods and the ways that humans learn. I have given talks about this work, and consider myself to be an educational professional, as well as a pedagogue. Read More

Instruments: Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

I use a variety of guitar methods and always do my research to enrich my teaching repertoire. I use Frederick Noad' s guitar methods for beginning and intermediate students. with Advanced students I use pieces from my personal repertoire that I played during college years. I use Mel Bay's guitar methods for electric guitar and plectrum technique teaching. In addition, I use music theory and harmony books to enrich the students musical background. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Violin, Cello, Viola, Bass Guitar, Organ, Ukulele, Electric Violin, Music, Keyboard, Electric Guitar

Each student learns at their own pace and it's important to understand that not everybody learns the same. Setting both short and long term goals with the student helps me understand what they want out of lessons. This makes it easier for me to engage with them and bring it back to something relevant to them at the end of the day. For example, no child understands advanced rhythm unless you disguise it in familiar terms e.g. using the phrase "run po-ny run" to describe two eighth notes sandwiched in between to quarter notes. Read More

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Synthesizer, Mallet Percussion, Orchestral Percussion, Latin Percussion

Teaching style could easily be summaried and paraphrased with my above stated pedagogy! Teaching style changes from student to teacher. I enjoy trying to decipher what the student enjoys hearing, wants to learn, prior knowledge, and desires are. These help in my search to find the perfect style at which the student understands and enjoys the task at hand.  Read More

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Trombone, Drums, Synthesizer, Ukulele, Orchestral Percussion, Latin Percussion, Music, Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar

After I first received my Bachelor's Degree from CSU Fullerton, I opted to showcase my original music through distinct outlets. One of the resulting projects, themattsmithneujazztrio, has recorded three full-length records; my other project, JUICEBOX, has recorded two. I gained a masters of music in jazz drum set from California Institute of the Arts, where I was honored to record my own composition for the CalArts, 30th Annual Jazz CD at Capitol Records. Read More