About
Imagine this… I was 19 years old, learned to play the guitar all by myself, and “Stairway to Heaven” was my ultimate achievement. “Pretty advanced” you’re thinking, I know. And with that skill level I made up my mind to apply to the Conservatory (of Universidad Austral). I was bold and hilarious. Especially when you know that all the other applicants were 14 to 15 years old with almost a decade of music education behind them. Everyone thought, and said out loud, that I am a lost cause… BUT, I dedicated 2 months to constant practice and learning of classical guitar skills.
To the surprise of everyone, me included, I got in. A few years later, the famous guitar player José Antonio Escobar, selected me to study under him at the Conservatory of the Universidad Mayor in Santiago. Another surprise considering how late and unskilled I started.
Because José has a full concert calendar I was barely getting any mentoring from him. So I decided to apply to the prestigious Faculty of Arts at the Universidad de Chile. You have a better chance winning the lottery than getting in there. But again, with tons of obsessive practice, I got in. Practice compensates for many things as you can see :)
My teaching journey started when I became an assistant at the Universidad de Chile, followed by teaching at the Universidad Metropolitana de las Ciencias de la Educación. That’s a mouthful, I know.
I’ve also given master classes at one of the largest guitar festivals in South America, “Festival Entrecuerdas”. And, if I may humblebrag, I was given the “Best Performer” award at the Cesar Cortinas Guitar Contest in 2010.
Then I made another bold decision and moved to Canada, Toronto. Here I teach both online, to older students, and at 2 local music schools where I teach kids guitar, ukulele and drums.
As you can see, dedication and practice, along with a passion for music were the keys for my success against odds. I’ve made lots of mistakes along the way and gained plenty of experience. Now I would love to transfer those hard earned lessons to you.
See you in your free 15min trial lesson :)
You are the most important part of my teaching style . This is why I adapt every session to your needs.
The first lesson is where I get to know you, what level of knowledge and skill you have, or don't have :) You will also tell me what your goals are - learning rock, pop, classical guitar etc. Whether you want to learn to read music sheets, or stick to chords. If you want to improve your technique or just learn to play songs you love. Whatever you want we can do.
I aim to make the lessons fun so that you can learn with minimum pressure and maximum joy. Most of the students get nervous in their first sessions because they are afraid of making mistakes. But mistakes are how we learn. Which is why I have a lot of patience with my students. I also adapt my teaching style to how you learn best. Not how I like to teach.
At the start of every lesson we go over what you've practiced to hear where you are, and then we adjust the current lesson accordingly. I even adapt music or songs to your level, so that you're not overwhelmed. I pay attention to the details and correct your posture, breathing, fingers, etc. Small improvements make a big difference.
We finish the lesson with some homework and exercises to keep you improving. Nothing too demanding, but still enough to push you to improve while having fun.
If you have any questions, you can book a free 15min trial lesson to see if we're a good fit :) See you then.