Piano Lessons in Plainfield, IL

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Flute Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Lap Steel Guitar Banjo Ukulele Conga Latin Percussion Keyboard Electric Guitar Djembe Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
Teaching varies from student to student because there are no two students alike. For those who have no idea about anything to do with the guitar i start from scratch with the basics and i show them what every part of the guitar is called and why it is the way it is, also how to tune a guitar as well as learn the strings and notes. For more advanced students i skip that jazz and i simply ask them if they want to learn more songs, notes, scales, chords, theory. Whatever they are interested is what i focus the most on while throwing the rest in along side it.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
i have no degree nor have i ever went to school for music though i would love to do so!

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
My dream piece to preform is something i have been working on all my life. its a working progress and i just let it come out when i comes out. i hope it is well worth the wait!. as far as cover songs, my favorite song to play would be the duel from the crossroads because i remember watching that as a child and i fell in love with the fast guitar leads after a whole movie of slow blues! my favorite acoustic song to play is dust in the wind because its just so musch fun for me to play and i love having fun while playing!

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
If i was not a musician i would be trucking because my father was a trucker and i love traveling. Music keeps me from being bored also

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
my Favorite style to play varies along with my mood but i love all music from latin to rock, blues to classical, jazz to oldies , classic country to folk and all in between. i play alot if Spanish guitar on my classical because i fell in love with the sound when i was in Mexico. i use to love to play heavy metal because my cousin played in a heavy metal band but i mellowed out as i grew older and now i love to play soft and slow just as much as fast and heavy. i love a good blend of music. Most of the songs i write are a blend of all styles that have influenced me and i would say i have a wide variety of sound in my style.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I started playing trombone in 6th grade because the band teacher said they already had enough drummers. i then started playing the guitar at 12 and by age 15 i was playing around with drums, flute, bass guitar, piano, harp, harmonica , bongos, ect. i fell in love with music as a whole and didnt always have freinds to play music with so i started picking up different instruments to add into my songs that i started writing and recording. i always go back to guitar though i try to play many other things.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Music runs in my family on both sides. On my mothers side there are a lot of rappers, accordionists, and my older cousin who inspired me is a guitar player. On my dads side i know he played piano and guitar, his sister also played the piano. My sister tried to play the guitar but she was never interested enough to stick with it. my daughter has been in music classes since she was a baby and she loves to sing. she also plays the drums, ukulele, and guitar. my sisters son also bands on the drums!

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
i decided to become a professional musician after hearing many people tell me i was really good at playing guitar and they all asked me why i did not do it full time and make money doing it. After working enough crummy jobs that i dreaded going to and not making very much money or not having much time to spend it if i did make decent money i decided it would be best to utilize my talents for whoever would like to enjoy it! i love playing guitar more than anything in the world and i am happy to play for free but i am not opposed to making money doing something i love!

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