Anthony

I am a multi-instrumentalist (mainly guitarist) from the South East region of Virginia. Guitar has been my passion for about 15 years, along with recording and producing music. I also play keys, bass, and drums in the styles of blues, jazz, funk, and reggae. I spent almost 8 years teaching guitar students in the Hampton Roads area at Doug Norton Music/Peninsula Music, and formed the Smithfield High School Guitar club while  taught English in Isle of Wight. Even though we were only a club, we competed at CNU yearly with local guitar ensembles from Menchville, Woodside, and Kecoughtan in the Freeman Center for the Arts. I also have a Master in the Art of Teaching from Christopher Newport University, and know many strategies to help struggling students. 

I have played professionally both independently and with combos along the East Coast, and currently am the guitarist, vocalist, and producer of the reggae and jazz act Cultivated Mind. I have opened for both national and international acts including HR of Bad Brains, the Wailing Souls, Mike Love, Black Uhuru, and Etana. 

Students should be given both a firm foundation in classical music training as well as be allowed to experiment and discover music for themselves. I try my best to understand what the student's need or desire is and learn to incorporate the needed knowledge along with something that interests them. This way students are learning important rules of music while simultaneously learning music they enjoy. I also believe that patience and practice is essential to achieving success in music, and try my best to move at a comfortable pace for the person I am teaching.