Matt E
Instruments: Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Gospel, Funk, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova
Matt E
Instruments: Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Gospel, Funk, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Swing, Bossa Nova
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
A.A.S., McNally-Smith College of Music, Guitar Performance
2014 - McNally-Smith College of Music Diamond award 2015 - McNally-Smith College of Music Premier Scholarshp
My earliest musical memories were of Led Zeppelin, Guns 'n' Roses, and Jimi Hendrix. When I started taking guitar lessons at eleven years old, I pursued the powerful distorted guitar riffs from my classic rock idols. After learning about jazz in high-school, I began to seek out knowledge of every genre of music. McNally-Smith helped me tremendously. I joined a wide range of ensembles, from blues to indie-rock, classical to gypsy jazz. I've been a contract musician at multiple churches, played at the Strawberry Festival in a funk-rock band, been contracted to train and perform high-schoolers for thier musical productions, and performed original music in comfy lounges. My musical journey has taken me down a wide variety of paths, and I'm always continuing to learn.
I started teaching in high-school. I taught guitar and drums from ages 7 to 55, from the absolute beginner to someone rekindling an old habit. I had the opportunity to use the lessons I was learning in college while I was still in college. I not only was a tutor, but I had some students outside of school. This helped my skills as a teacher improve quickly. Since college, I have been performing origjnals and covers in my free time, and I really enjoy it, but eventually I would love to teach more than i perform. Sharing my knowledge and joy of music is rewarding for myself as well as my students. My passion for music education stems from a passion to make this world a better place and to be my best self. Music not only teaches us about scales and chords, but about discipline, patience, and believing in ourselves.
For absolute beginners who are children, I will use a method book, such as the Hal Leonard Guitar Method. I help them through the book, supplementing with thier favorite songs and excercises that allow them to play along with ease. For older students, I have a discussion about what they would like to accomplish and set up a general plan. For every lesson, of all ages, I incorporate five categories: Scales, chords, arpeggios, repertoire, and improvisation. In every lesson, I also make time for a "music moment," in which the student is given the chance to do something fun with what they have been learning. After all, what is music without a little bit of fun?
It is vital to show every student how talented they are. I set students up for success by giving them goals that are objective, acheivable, and flexible. Students should know exactly what I expect for the next lesson, so they can be be prepared. My goals for students are never to frustrate them, but challenge them to be better than they thought they could be. I like to leave each lesson with specific goals, but these goals have lots of room for "extra credit," meaning that students can experiment on thier own time with the exercises, allowing them to develope thier own unique musical style.
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