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Bachelor Degree: MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY
1988 - D'ANGELO SCHOOL OF MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP
I'm a passionate and motivated instructor who loves working with students and sharing my love of music. In 1992, I graduated from Mercyhurst University, The D'Angelos School of Music in Erie, PA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Guitar Performance. I am currently producing music for television and films. I'm also active in the local community with duo performances with my 12-year-old singer/songwriter daughter Meghan. We've played all over Chicagoland and have a successful youtube channel.
My teaching experience dates back to 2009, as I began teaching private lessons part-time 11 years ago, and have been consistently teaching students in my home studio for the last 4 years. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. I've also found that a combination of classical and modern music can go a long way in helping students enjoy the guitar and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. If a student isn't having fun in their lessons, then I'm not doing my job! My students are encouraged to enter competitions and recitals, as well as work on composing their own original material, so they can feel good about their accomplishments and stay motivated to learn. I'm always looking to bring on new students of all ages!
For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's guitar lesson books 1-3. I also have material for younger children. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce songs of artists they would like to learn. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in, and guide my instruction accordingly to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. We can use several different Hal Leonard books for Jazz, Theory, Blues, Improvisation and Chord voicings.
Nothing is more rewarding than seeing one of my students develop a passion for music! Therefore, it's important that each student progresses at his or her own pace. I encourage this by setting realistic goals for my students at each lesson. Acknowledging accomplishments helps fuel student's desire to progress, and makes students eager to learn more. By trying to find out what inspires the student, I can successfully tailor my instruction to their wants and needs. In the beginning, it's important to try to commit to a practice schedule in order to get the most of our time together.