Charles S
Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel
Charles S
Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Gospel
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 8-80
Bachelor Degree: Rutgers University
1999-2001-Performance sholarship to Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts
2001 Graudated with Honors with a BA in Jazz Guitar Performance
2004 part of "Rutgers All-Stars" show at Blue Note jazz club (NY) selected to represent Rutgers.
2004 part of "Rutgers All-Stars" show at Blue Note jazz club (NY) selected to represent Rutgers.
I've had a performing career as a Jazz guitarist that spans over 25 years. After graduating from Rutgers University in 2001, I freelanced in the New York City area for 10 years and played with many of the worlds top jazz artists such as Grant Stewart, Frank Wess, Joel Frahm, Dr.Art Davis, Vic Juris, Ralph Peterson, Ralph Bowen, Orrin Evans, Sean Jones, and Gene Burtoncini. In 2005 I was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition (now known as the Herbie Hancock Jazz Competition). I also have extensive performing experience in pit orchestras and reading orchestras, as I've played over 300 performances of broadway musicals "Mama Mia," and "Grease." In 2009, I moved to the Philippinnes where I lived for 12 years and also build a career performing jazz as well as singing in Filipino. I appeared on local and national TV news as well as multiple radio interviews, singing and playing guitar on ABS-CBN, GMA Network, and DWPR, Energy FM, as well as other local radio stations in the Philippines.
Besides having an extensive career as a performer, I have always maintained 10-30 private students ranging from beginners to professional musicians. I can teach and play almost any style of guitar, and I always teach reading music, music theory, and proper technique along with any particular songs the student is interested to learn. As a University student, I began teaching at local music schools and found that it's a wonderful way to share knowledge and experience, and also to be around youth and become aware of how differently young people now experience music and acquire knowledge. I also have taught many adult hobbyists, admiring their ability to continue learning even with full time jobs and families.
I always teach proper technique, music reading, and eventually some music theory. If a student is just beginning, they need a method book to track their progress. I usually use Hal Leanord's guitar method. Besides this book, there should be a blank manuscript booklet for any extracurricular songs or concepts that aren't included in the book. Weekly lessons are ideal for building on the fundamentals, as any longer, the student may be memorizing bad habits or forget the proper way to play. For people that have been playing for a longer time, I base the material on the particular style that the student is interested in and what they want to improve on.
It's important when introducing music into especially a young persons life, that they have short term, attainable goals, and they hopefully eventually enjoy playing. Therefore, it's important to encourage them especially during the first two-three weeks as soft fingers will be developing callouses. The nice thing about guitar, is that it's easy to produce a relatively pleasant sound immediately unlike a trumpet, violin, or saxophone, where the basic tone production is challenging. On guitar, the coordination of the hands is what takes a long time, but playing a few chords can be taught in two to three weeks, and many songs can be played with those chords.
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