About
I've been teaching guitar/bass/ukulele professionally throughout the Chicagoland area since 2001 (eventually moving most of my clients online in 2018). I grew up listening to and studying music instead of watching television- per my Dad's request. His record collection alone took up an entire room and was categorized into: big band jazz, classical, blues, rock, psychedelia, metal and more. When I got my first guitar, it was almost as if I could already play. From there I studied every book on the subject that I could find and made little room for anything else in my life until I was 24- which is when I started teaching professionally. My first teaching job was in the local music store (About Music- Libertyville, Il) and I quickly became the top teacher- eventually having on average about 60 students per week, which I maintained for about 5 years. In 2006, I opened a music venue (that I converted into a recording studio by day) where I saw many of my students start bands who I would then record and/or put on stage. The venue was called Swing State and over the next 9 years I met musicians from all around the world. In 2015 I was forced to close down the venue because it had been bought out by developers. From there, I moved to Chicago where I've been teaching professionally in people's homes and online ever since. As for my own experience with playing music, I have had many successful bands throughout my adult life: naming just a few; Mantra, Gift of Tongues and Swing State.
Every student is different. First I make sure everyone knows the basics with technique and theory. In the meantime, I gear the lessons towards the taste of each student. We will learn songs of your choice while we gradually adding to your knowledge of the instrument. It is always my goal to get you playing and where you want to be with your goals as fast and as efficient as possible.
My usual approach is to give you 3 tasks each week: 1. based on theory 2. based on technique 3. a rotating list of songs. I am very organized and always have a gameplan. At the end of each lesson you will know clearly what your homework will be for the following week.