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Berklee Spring Guitar Award 2021
2018 Finalist – Lee Ritenour International Six String Theory Competition Blues Guitar
2020 Scholarship Recipient - SoundBetter Music Scholarship by Spotify
2018, 2017 Louis Armstrong Jazz Award Winner
2018 IBC Youth Showcase Representative – Northeast Ohio Blues Association
I am a Guitarist, Vocalist, Film Composer from Northeast Ohio. I have studied at Berklee College of Music and am well versed in Genres such as Blues, Rock, Classical, Jazz, and have been performing professionally since 14. Some highlights in my career are the Berklee Spring Guitar Award 2021, Going to NAMM 2022, playing as guest guitarist with The Ohio Players. Gigging and traveling has been a great enjoyment of my career, to places such as Memphis, TN for the International Blues Association, Canton Blues Festival, Akron Lock 3, Bluesfest, PA, and Canada.
I have recently started teaching in the last year on zoom and in person. A lot of my gigging and recording experience I have been able to incorporate in to my students lessons. I think one of the most important aspects of teaching music is how to learn. Every student learns differently. Knowing if they learn well by sheet music, by ear, or just working on technique. I enjoy teaching, putting students on the right track with what they want to learn, with the fundamentals of guitar in the beginning and that they enjoy it as well.
For beginner students, I will work on technique, sheet music and getting them started with their first few chords. Technique can be different for everyone on the guitar but approaching the fundamentals of it are important. Sight reading and learning music is similar to technique in the sense that it is all about how you learn the fundamentals in the beginning. A Modern Method for Guitar and any Berklee press books are great to use. I am also in the process of writing my own Guitar technique book as well.
The combination of technique, sheet music, sight reading and music tracks that the student want to learn is a great way for the students to learn at their own pace. Practicing every day or every other day and having a track when playing each week can really develop your playing. Practicing for 10-50 minutes is ideal, rather than, only practicing for 3 hours one day a week. Always having a principle short goal or long term goal on the guitar or any instrument is really important to always keep you going forward as a musician.