About
Hi there! My name is Steve, and I am a music instructor currently based in Oklahoma. I have over 30 years of teaching experience, with 25 of those years in professional, private schools of instruction. I teach a wide variety of music styles, including blues, rock, pop, classical, country, and bluegrass. I also teach a wide variety of techniques, such as flat picking, finger picking, slide, and improvisation.
Guitar instruction has been my primary, continuous occupation for more than two decades now. I taught my first guitar lessons in the summer of 1990. I started by showing my friends the techniques and exercises that helped me with my own playing. My professional career began in the spring of 1995 when I started working in two guitar shops in Northwestern Arkansas. I worked at these shops teaching and repairing guitars professionally until 2002, when I relocated to Los Angeles, CA. I then started teaching in Diamond Bar, at a studio called the Music Store, achieving a 40 student per week average. During this time, I performed at the Whisky A Go Go and the Roxy Theater in Hollywood on a few occasions. In 2010, I changed studios and took my career to Rising Star Performing Arts.
In addition to teaching, I am very knowledgeable about sound setup for concerts. While working at Rising Stars, I was very involved in our studio’s yearly music recital in which my students participated. During these recitals, which were held at Cal Poly Pomona’s Recital Hall, I worked stage and performed with my little ones who didn't want to perform by themselves yet.
My teaching style would be best stated as "well seasoned." I currently teach as many adults as I do children, and my lessons are based solely on my students’ musical goals and aspirations. I can turn any song you would like to play into a lesson, given it’s within your skill level. For example, I have been teaching a little girl for 6 years who has a favorite artist and doesn't want to play most other pop songs, so we do exactly what she wants. We just make each lesson progressively harder so she keeps improving. Working with her on what she is interested in has helped her accomplish her own performing goals: she auditioned at school with her guitar (while not feeling well because of a cold) and still got the part she wanted! My main goal is for you to have fun with your music.
I have been affiliated with many professional guitar shops and music studios over the years. Starting in 1995, I worked for a couple of years at Ben Jack’s Guitar Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas. While working as a guitar instructor there, I had the opportunity to study the science of vacuum tube amp design and learn pro setups and modifications for amps and guitars. Also in 1995, I worked as a guitar instructor and repaired instruments at The Music Box in Greenwood, Arkansas. I took care of major repairs on all basses and guitars, assembled electric guitars for resale, and sponsored the research and development of a vacuum tube guitar amp of my design (which I nicknamed “Frankenstein"), all in addition to teaching guitar. After moving to Southern California in 2002, I began working at The Music Store where I continued working as an instructor and guitar repairman. There, I was able to learn basic band instrument repairs and sanitation. In 2010, I moved my work over to Rising Stars Performing Arts. There, I not only worked as a guitar instructor, but I also assembled a pro audio team for a yearly recital, designed and sold three boutique distortion pedals, and designed and sold an all tube guitar amp with a reverb circuit. Since 2019, I have been working at Steves Workshop which I am now doing based out of Oklahoma. Since starting Steves Workshop, I have been able to create a complete stage environment for the students to learn and practice in, begin professional online services to accommodate remote learning, and add ukulele to my available lesson services.
In my class, beginners usually start with chords. As a student, you get to pick the artist and I help figure out the suitable songs for your proper lesson progression. As you progress, you will learn music theory. All music and manuscripts will be provided by me. I have already created very specialized worksheets for guitar and bass.
In my class, you have many options when it comes to choosing what techniques you would like to learn. With my expert ability to improvise lead guitar melodies, I can teach you to do the same; however some students would rather finger pick or just be excellent rhythm players–it’s the student’s choice. My personal favorite styles are rock and blues, but I never let that interfere with student choice. My weakest department would be jazz, but I'm always open to improving myself and am very proficient in all other areas and levels.