The core of my teaching philosophy is that the best way to learn music is to play what you like! Playing the music you like sets clear, actionable goals and builds intrinsic motivation, which is the most important aspect of becoming a successful musician. Every song has something to teach us, and it is best for the student to choose their own path and for me to guide them!

This philosophy means that I do not subscribe to any type of one-size-fits-all curriculum. The skills required to play classical guitar, for example, are completely different than the skills required to play the blues, so it doesn’t make sense to force each student into the same experience.

There are, of course, certain rudimentary skills and techniques that every musician must learn, but I find that these almost always present themselves naturally as students work through their repertoire. My approach forces students to come across these techniques on their own as a step along the path that they have chosen, which means that they’ll actually want to learn the “boring stuff!”

At the end of the day, even though it requires work, music is supposed to be fun - I’ve always believed that being a great musician is meaningless if you dread picking up your instrument. My ultimate goal is to spread my joy for music and give kids a safe space to learn and be creative!