Steven Middendorp
About
Steven is a musician and writer. He has been playing and performing as a guitarist for more than 20 years. He has been teaching guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and writing for nine years. Steven has a passion for music that he developed in high school when he formed a band with his friends to play at the "Battle of the Bands." He is a self-taught musician who later developed his musical skills by learning music theory and studying music. For the last 23 years, he has performed in a variety of different rock, country, alternative, world music, and bluegrass bands.
Steven teaches with the same passion that he has for playing music. He believes that playing music is a useful skill for professional musicians, hobbyist musicians, and anyone who appreciates a good song. He believes that music lessons should be accessible to all and makes sure to make classes inclusive to all skill levels and demographics. This means providing easier ways to play for some students and challenging other students to learn more complex styles, rhythms, and songs. Ultimately, Steven works to help students play what they want to play rather than following a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Steven is a lifelong writer and journalist. He was first published by a local race track when he was a high school student. He studied Communications with an emphasis in Journalism at Grand Valley State University. He went on to write for the local arts and entertainment magazine about music and comedy. In the last 24 years, he has worked as a freelance writer and journalist for multiple online websites.
Steven adapts his teaching style to the desires and learning styles of each student. He will teach you how to play what you want to play while taking the shortest learning path to achieve that outcome. Students have different learning styles, so Steven picks up on cues to adapt the lesson to achieve the best possible outcome for each student. Steven has experience teaching students with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. If the student has specialized learning needs, they can let Steven know before the start of class.
Steven is a self-taught musician who knows the value of learning a musical instrument. Many people become stunted in their musical journeys because of extra steps taken by traditional music teachers that are often unnecessary. For this reason, Steven focuses on the most important skills to allow students to start playing songs. He will teach the most important aspects of music theory, but he will get the student playing music on the first day of class. That is the objective for any kind of music class.
Steven is a musician with over 20 years of experience. He has performed at festivals, concert venues, restaurants, bars, and nursing homes. He has performed at Bliss Fest, Buttermilk Jamboree, and Hippie Fest on the same bill as Billy Strings, the Crane Wives, Rusted Root, and others. He has also shared the stage with members of Big Thief, who have since been nominated for multiple grammies.
Steven graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Psychology. He has been an independent online teacher for the last nine years. He has taught more than 1,200 students of all ages to play guitar, ukulele, or harmonica. He has taught in person lessons to children and adults ranging in age from 3-70.
