Geoffrey W
5.0
(16)
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Organ, Synthesizer, Lap Steel Guitar, Ukulele, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Latin, Funk, Electronic, Flamenco, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Avant-garde
Geoffrey W
5.0
(16)
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Organ, Synthesizer, Lap Steel Guitar, Ukulele, Keyboard, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, Latin, Funk, Electronic, Flamenco, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Samba, Bossa Nova, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
Bachelor Degree: California State University Northridge
Professional Certificate: Lake Washington Technical College
Winner - Cal State Fullerton New Voices Composers Competition
Finalist - ASCAP Young Composers Competition
Finalist - UCSB Creative Studies Young Composers Competition
Growing up in the Los Angeles area I started playing piano at age 8, guitar at age 11 and was working professionally as a musician by age 13 in local rock and acoustic acts. As a teenager I played in local college big bands, studied classical guitar at California Institute of the Arts and was invited to study at UC Santa Barbara to develop my other musical love, composing. Throughout my young adult life I studied classical and studio guitar, piano and composition at California State University Northridge and Javanese and Balinese Gamelan music at UCLA and Cal Arts. During this time I worked extensively as a performer, session musician, musical director, composer and music teacher. Finally having moved to the Seattle area I spend my time performing live and in the studio, teaching all styles of guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and composition, and composing production music for World Market Publishing and other companies.
I began teaching private music lessons while I was working on my Bachelor of Music degree. I also was a teaching assistant for guitar classes at the university that I attended. After I graduated I continued to teach privately, at music stores and technical colleges including Lake Washington Technical College. I taught at Bellevue American Music for over twenty years. I teach many styles including classical, jazz and modern styles and I encourage my students to explore different genres of music to keep them excited and motivated.
For all of my students beginning through advanced I have my own curriculum of technique building studies. Combined with that I have my own curriculum of style studies and songs which include many genres of music. If students want to learn how to read music I usually suggest the Hal Leonard series of books for their particular instrument to start with and then I suggest more advanced materials for the style of music that they want to start specializing in. I create custom lessons for each student depending on what motivates them the most so that they can have the most fun while they are learning.
I love to see my students grow and develop as their passion for music increases. I facilitate this by giving examples of goals that they can reach and examples of different styles and genres that they can immerse themselves in. By doing this students see that playing and possibly mastering an instrument is not just about discipline and practice but about a high level of expression and communication. The reward my students feel from being able to accomplish this instills in them great joy and pride and motivates them to work at other things in life the same way.
KathyD
I've been taking finger style acoustic and classical guitar from Geoffrey for a little over 2 years now. He challenges me to maintain good tone, timing and technique. It's fun to work with Geoffrey. We share some laughs and complements when earned. Geoffrey is a talented musician and I highly recommend him as an instructor.
Martha Spieker
Geoffrey has been teaching me finger style blues and classical guitar for several years. He is an incredibly talented musician and also patient as teaches me. He can create a new piece for you to learn on the spot or pull out a classic. He continues to hold me to high standards and won’t let me slip by. I highly recommend him. He is talented, patient, honest and kind
Dan B
Geoffrey has been my guitar teacher for 5 years now. I was a self taught guitarist looking to expand my playing and musical knowledge. I'm really happy to say that Geoffrey has without a doubt been key in helping me achieve those goals. His knowledge and ability in many forms of playing techniques and styles has allowed me to adopt them in my own playing, extending my playing opportunities beyond what I was familiar with as a self taught guitar player. I like that he has a professional approach to teaching, but with a relaxed atmosphere which really helps me to focus on the content of the lesson. He encourages me to develop as a guitar player through lessons that are challenging but rewarding. My lessons typically include a mix of playing technique, ear training, scales, composition, and creative expression, which keeps me engaged. His own compositional work and music production add expertise and insight in to my own compositional and recording pursuits. His approach to music and how it can positively influence our own lives is something I personally resonate with, and appreciate. Geoffrey is a great teacher, and anyone wanting to learn to play guitar or improve their playing, will be rewarded with having Geoffrey as their teacher.
Thomas, Ben, Luke Taranowski
Geoffrey has been teaching me and my two teenage boys now for several years, and we've learned everything from gypsy jazz, to bossa nova, ac/dc, fingerstyle, flamenco, classical, slide swamp blues, you name it. He is an extremely versatile teacher and skilled in many styles. The main advantage with Geoffrey is that he is able to compose or help you compose new sections or pieces. Say you hear a song on you tube you like, but don't like a section of it. Geoffrey can fill that section in with something more musical. Other teachers I've had are simply mechanical or don't have strong music background so are unable to do this in a way that makes sense musically. Geoffrey always leaves me with a challenge to keep me growing as a guitarist so I'm never stuck in a rut.
Aditya Patel
Geoffrey has been teaching me acoustic guitar for a few years now. He has been extremely patient while I faltered and then grew. He maintains variety in songs and genres to keep the sessions engaging. He takes the effort to understand my taste/preference in music and renders lessons accordingly. This helps in keeping me interested enough to practice regularly. Geoffrey is also a great converstionalist and makes it fun and engaging.It is great fun to work with Groffrey and I find myself looking forward to his class :-). Geoffrey is versatile teacher and I would strongly recommend him for any age.
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