Patrick M  
Instruments: Piano, Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Latin, Funk, Reggae, Bossa Nova, Punk

I'm a dedicated musician, playing guitar and piano 20+ years. I began lessons on piano at 6 and guitar at 12, also studying saxophone a few years. I grew up in a musical family and learned some piano early on from my father who played jazz. I took formal lessons through high school and studied classical guitar at Keene State College. I moved to the Boston area after that, playing in original pop/rock bands while continuing at UMass Boston, majoring in Music Composition and Education. I graduated with a BA in Music with Initial State Teacher Licensure, and worked with a Boston-area Summer High School Band Program sponsored by Boston Latin School at Symphony Hall, working with the woodwind and percussion sections on sight-reading and part-preparation for their summer concert. I've taught guitar and piano part-time for over 12 years. The first band I joined in high school did original pop/rock and used handwritten lead-sheets for all their songs so I had the experience early on of reading in a band setting. While playing in a jazz combo in college I was asked to teach guitar to a couple of people. From there I gradually built up piano and guitar students over the years on a part-time basis. I've taught children through adults in many styles: rock, pop, folk, jazz, classical, and r&b. I’m a good teacher for early learners, very patient and I believe that learning music should be as fun as making it. I’m careful to progress at the student’s natural pace, the goal being that their early musical experiences are positive and lasting!

I always work with a method book, and have a range of fun books to choose from from beginner to advanced for guitar and piano. I use a separate sheet of paper as a log of each day's lesson at the end to show what we worked on, what to practice, and other notes or positive remarks ( ‘great job’, etc.) With older students I encourage exploring your own musical tastes and learning from the artists you like. A section of the lesson is dedicated to learning a song of the student's choice which I learn by ear and transcribe into a written form. I also recommend songs, chords, and riffs. This is not only fund but provides perspective on the lesson to see how music is put together in a familiar setting, and to learn reading different forms of written music (lead sheets, tablature, etc.)