Yes. I think meeting in person is the best way for us to decide if it makes sense to work together. It will give you a very good feel for the experience. You can tell me about what you have in mind for yourself with guitar, we can do a little playing and then decide where to go from there.
If you pay for your lessons one at a time - my hourly fee is $100, with a minimum of one hour per week. If you choose this option, I also ask that you pay for your last lesson in advance.
I also offer discount lesson plans if you pay for either 5 or 10 lessons in advance:
-10 hours for $800 which you can schedule however you want to over the course of 12 weeks.
-5 hours for $425 which you can schedule however you want to over the course of 6 weeks.
If you are using the 5 or 10 lesson plan, then the cancellation policy is as follows:
24 hours notice is required for all cancellations. If you cancel within 24 hours of your scheduled time, you forfeit your lesson.
If you are paying for the lessons one a time, then the cancellation policy is as follows:
If you have to cancel your lesson, you are financially responsible for your time. If possible, the lesson will berescheduled to a time within 10 days of your original lesson. If your lesson cannot be rescheduled, or your original time cannot be filled, then payment will be made for the missed lesson at your next regularly scheduled lesson. If you notify me in advance that you are going to miss morethan a weeks worth of lessons, you are not required to pay for, or reschedule that time. However, unless it is paid for, your time will not be held for you.
You're always welcome to bring your guitar to your lesson. But many of my students find it more convenient to play one my guitars. There's also something to be said for playing a guitar that's different from your own. You might find it gives you a fresh perspective on your playing.
I tend to focus on Rock and Blues guitar, but I like to get into a wide range of music with my students. We can explore Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Reggae, Jazz, Bossa Nova, Standards, Pop, Alternative, Punk, Surf, New Wave, Disco, Funk, R&B, and Soul. It just depends on what you want to do and what fits the mood.
Absolutely. Whether you're buying your first guitar or bass, or you want to upgrade to a more high-end instrument, I'll help you make the choice that's right for you without spending more money than you need to. If you're looking to purchase equipment for live performance, or home recording on your computer, we'll explore all of your options and design the performance and/or recording set up that will give you the best results. It's usually a lot simpler than you'd think.
If you want to play simple bass lines or you want to get started with more advanced techniques like slapping and popping, we can get into it all. I really encourage my students who want to play bass to learn some basics on guitar while you're getting started. It might seem like an unnecessary detour but it will actually make everything easier. You'll develop a better understanding of how songs work as well as the ability to give and take with other musicians, especially guitarists.
Writing songs has always been a big part of my teaching. If you've never written a song before, I can help you get started. If you've written songs in the past and maybe you feel a little stuck, I can help you tune into a new level of creativity. There is no one "right way" to write a song, but whatever stage you're at I can help you bring out the music that's already inside you.
Developing your performance skills and overall stage presence has always been a focus of my teaching. There are thousands of nuances that make up a performance, but here are a few examples of different aspects of performing that I can help you develop: We'll explore physicality, how to feel more relaxed on stage, your relationship to the audience, how to work with a microphone, song choice (one of the most under appreciated aspects of developing a live performance), equipment choices, not mention your singing and playing.
I've guided many students over the years through various aspects of home recording. I recommend GarageBand to anyone getting started. It's a very accessible program that comes with every Apple computer in the last 5 or 6 years. While it's very simple, it's also very powerful and will allow you to go very far as a recording artist.
Many students want to explore more professional applications like Logic and ProTools. I can help you get to know and use these programs as well. Whatever you learn in GarageBand can be applied in many ways to Logic and Pro Tools. Since Logic is also an Apple product it will actually accept GarageBand files directly. The technology available today is amazing, but it's important to remember that it will never replace the human experience of actually creating the music.
