Derek M  
Instruments: Guitar, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Funk, Reggae, Swing, Soul

Being a passionate student myself, I know what I look for in a teacher and try to live up to that standard. No two people are the same and tailoring lessons to fit each person is the key to my teaching style. I strive to help each student achieve their goals and develop higher goals in the process. This personal approach makes learning not only educational but, more importantly, a lot of fun! Some students love the structure of a learning from a method and others thrive with a lot less structure and that is an equally legitimate pursuit. In the end, keeping the student motivated and enjoying their experience is the primary concern.

All of my students receive personalized lesson plans and materials based on their interests, abilities, and goals. I usually draw from multiple sources including my own materials to make each lesson plan fit the student. It is important to me to balance material that builds techniques on the instrument with material that the student enjoys. Having to do boring exercises with no apparent application to what the player wants to ultimately accomplish is, in my opinion, the biggest mistake made in music education.