About
Hi! I'm Andy, and I've been a professional instructor, performer, and songwriter for over 10 years. As an artist, I have toured my original music in the southeast US as a solo musician and bandleader, and recently had my music added to Spotify's 'Best Blues Songs of 2022' editorial playlist. I annually tour the western US in 'Rhinestone: The Music of Glen Campbell', a tribute act to the country music icon. I live in Nashville, Tennessee, where I regularly perform my original music and play/sing for various artists and event bands. I am also a verified artist on Songfinch, a custom song gift-giving platform.
I have been teaching music since 2012, while I was still enrolled at the University of Georgia. I've worked at Bird Music School in San Francisco and The Music Staff Studio here in Nashville, and have worked with over 150 students to find their unique musical voice. Music is the greatest thrill in my life, and it's truly a gift to help others on their journey.
I received my BA in African-American Studies from the University of Georgia, where I was also enrolled in the Music Business Program. My coursework included several classes on music history, technique, and analysis. I learned a lot there, but my greatest source of music education has simply been real-world experience. There is no substitute for practice and working up to a performance, solo or with a group of other musicians.
Regardless of age, I always speak with new students about what draws them to music, and what type of music they enjoying listening to. I take a personal, friendly, and patient approach to teaching. Learning to express oneself through an instrument can be frustrating, and I encourage students to make mistakes without judgment. I would not be playing music today if I didn't think it was the most fun thing in the world, and I want to help my students that same joy.
Through a holistic understanding of their instrument and the fundamentals of music theory, my goal is to teach students to find answers to their own questions when I am not around to help them. When working through texts with younger students (typically the Hal Leonard Guitar Method), I take our time with exercises and not only explain how to play them, but why they sound good and make musical sense. I use this same approach when learning songs of their choosing; breaking down chords and melodies to understand how the song was composed.
I explain the benefits of music notation to adult students, and touch on the basics before allowing them to decide if they want to follow that track or not. Typically, my older students are interested in folk, rock, and roots genres, where reading notation is far less important than understanding keys, harmony, tablature, and using one's ear. I'll typically write charts and tabs for adult students rather than using a certain textbook; however, I'll often use Real-Book style charts in conjunction with tabs and recordings.
I always work on improvisation with students. Whether we are playing through chord changes with advanced scales and techniques, or simply strumming a chord to an improvised rhythm, I find improvisation to be an extremely valuable tool in building an understanding of one's instrument and the nature of music.