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AA, Minneapolis Media institute, Audio Recording and Live Sound, Logic Pro X Certified User, Pro Tools Certified User
I am a musician, songwriter, producer, and live sound engineer, but my biggest passion is sharing my knowledge of music with others. I graduated from the Minneapolis Media Institute with an associates degree in recording and live sound, and have been working as a freelance producer and songwriter in the Twin Cities. Music is my entire identity; whether I am producing or writing for work, or playing shows for fun, I am constantly either consuming or creating music. Over the years I have played in many different types of groups such as folk, rock, pop, EDM, and punk bands, which has given me a pretty broad appreciation for all different types of music. On the production side of things, I have recently had the opportunity to work for other artists in genres outside of my wheelhouse, such as hip hop and jazz. I always tell my students that I think it is important to challenge yourself and stretch your ears.
I have been teaching Guitar and Bass off and on for the last 8 years, and have seen many of my students become great musicians in their own right. One thing that I have come to understand is that everyone has different ways of learning, and my main goal is to understand how the student best absorbs information and try to package that in a way that is easily digestible. My family is very musical and I grew up playing many different instruments, and I vividly remember how frustrating the learning experience can be, especially if you don't gel with your teacher. My number one goal is
I have amassed a catalog of handwritten materials over the years, as well as some books and exercises from my old teacher. There are a few exercises from the essential elements book that I like to use with beginners, but not enough to warrant purchasing the book. I provide photocopies of all the lessons, as well as supplemental videos in some cases. I use videos or audio recordings to supplement my lessons to help the student practice during the week when i'm not around. Reading has never been my strong suit, so I always find it helpful to actually see someone's hands on the instrument when learning something new, and I have seen some of my students really benefit from having that to work off.
My teaching style is very simple: If we're not having fun, then what is the point?! If you ask me, playing the guitar is about the coolest thing you could ever do, and my only goal is to pass on my love for playing onto others. Learning to write and play my own music was not only a great social outlet for me growing up, but it also taught me a lot about self discipline and working really hard at something and achieving my own personal goals. My teacher was very encouraging and always believed me, and I try to be that person for my students. There are lots of different types of guitar players and songwriters, so what I like to do is tailor each curriculum to the individual student's ability, goals, and taste in music. Working out of a book is fine in some cases, but I have found that expecting everyone to learn from the same method doesn't always work.