Peter B
Instruments: Guitar
Styles: Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Funk, Bossa Nova
Peter B
Instruments: Guitar
Styles:
Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Funk, Bossa Nova
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 8-80
AA, Raritan Valley Community College, 3 years extensive instruction with premier jazz guitarist
Member of Phi Theta Kappa
I discovered a love for music at a young age. There was a wealth of music played in my childhood home, and some of my earliest musical memories are of sitting at the family piano and figuring out melodies by ear. This interest became magnified in my early teen years, when I first started playing guitar. I was enchanted by the sounds that it could make, and I wanted to be just like my favorite guitar heroes. This passion led me to hone my skills and develop my knack for improvisation. I later attended Raritan Valley Community College and majored in music. I learned from masterful musicians who taught me the ins and outs of music theory, composition, and transcribing. After college, I continued my training with a prestigious jazz guitarist who helped me to further improve upon my musical skills. My dedication to my craft has never faltered, and I strive to share my wisdom with students in hopes that music can positively impact their lives, like it has mine.
My teaching experience dates back to my college days, when I was hired as an instructor for Hudson Music Studios. The 8 years that I spent with this institution were a huge part of the person I am today. I learned to be the patient and creative teacher I am today by working alongside professional instructors and teaching a wide range of musical concepts. This exposure provided me with the experience and confidence to pursue a position with Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. The 2 years I spent at this school were among the best of my life. I had the pleasure of working beside an outstanding team of teachers and with a talented and intelligent group of students. I taught roughly 25 students a week, and it was a joy to watch them progress and see the positive impact music had on their lives.
Each student is unique in their interests and learning style, and it is my mission to adapt my teaching approach to suit each one's needs. With my guitar students, I typically start with technical exercises to build hand and finger strength as well as a basic set of chords and melodies that will introduce basic musical concepts. I also incorporate method books that are designed to inform technique and introduce music notation. I understand, however, that some students fare better working outside of a book, as music notation can be daunting to a beginner. In these cases, I focus more on learning songs across different genres, as well as learning to improvise and learn by ear, and then introduce music reading a little further down the road.
Kindness, patience, and creativity are at the center of my teaching approach. Each student is unique in how they learn and how they express themselves, and I seek to accommodate these needs in how I teach. From the very beginning and on, I set goals that are challenging, yet achievable, so students have a continuing sense of accomplishment in their arc of progression. Acknowledging and building upon these accomplishments is a big part of my teaching method, as this keeps the process encouraging and exciting.
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