Guitar Lessons Now Available!! 

Online or In-Person in Wilmington, NC! 

 My Teaching Approach 

I believe that the best way to start is to experience a feeling of achievement as soon as possible. Most students are delighted at how quickly they are able to put a few chords together to create a song they already know and love. The most important thing is to start off having fun, and experience the Joy of creating. By having fun with the process early on, and experiencing a quick achievement, the tediousness of practice and the frustrations that sometimes come with it become less daunting. Small steps are always the most manageable.  

Each student I have taught over the past 15 years has had different interests and different reasons for learning their instrument. My methods as instructor vary as such to meet the needs of the student, but the primary goal of finding joy never sways. If one learns to truly love the act of creating music, he or she will likely never stop. 

man holding guitar teaching young student also holding guitar

What I Teach: 

  • Beginner Guitar for Children
  • Beginner and Intermediate Guitar (All Ages)
  • Beginner and Intermediate Songwriting
  • Acoustic and Electric Guitar
  • How to Learn Songs by Ear
  • Using Fundamentals to Craft a Riff
  • How to Read and Write Tablature
  • Basic Understanding of Chords in a Key
  • Rock Guitar Effects
  • Picking and Strumming Technique
  • Fingerpicking Technique
  • Online or In-Person (You come to me or I'll come to you!)

  • Having Fun Every Step of the Way!!

young girl smiling while practicing guitar
young boy smiling sitting on floor holding guitar tablature lesson with guitar laying on ground next to him

My Story

The most important part of being a musician is Joy. This joy can come in the form of a simple celebration of life, joy in the experience of creating beauty, or even from a deeper connection with the more difficult aspects of the human condition, as are represented in so many songs we all know and love.   

As humans, we are neither robots nor computers. Reflecting on my own journey, and those of the countless musicians I have known in my life, I believe that joy is often overlooked, or assigned inadequate importance in the process of learning to be a musician. As someone whose introduction to musicianship was hindered by a less than ideal instructor, I am passionate and dedicated to instilling these vital lessons in beginning guitarists.  

At the age of 12, I began taking guitar lessons. My first instructor told me that I would never be a good guitarist because my fingers were too short. Not the sort of thing a teacher should be saying, or even thinking. After letting my guitar collect dust for the next five years, hearing a friend shred his guitar brought me a renewed inspiration. I luckily picked it back up and never put it down. The cautionary tale of my own experience has a silver lining. The power a teacher holds, if wielded constructively, can be incredibly positive and inspiring. Any hurdle can be overcome, and joy is always attainable. 

Having written songs and played the guitar for over 25 years, my musical journey has led me to stages and recording studios all over the country, from L.A. to Austin to Boston to Tampa. The genres I am most drawn to include folk, rock, and country. Personal favorites range anywhere from Dylan and Neil Young, to Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, to the Beatles and Pink Floyd. While these are my own primary influences, my love of music goes deep into many genres. If it stirs that feeling deep in the soul, the genre is irrelevant.   

I offer online lessons as well as in-person lessons in Wilmington, NC to those of any age. (In-person lessons can be at my home studio or at your home, your choice!) Whether you’re just beginning, or continuing your musical journey, send me a message below so I can start helping you along on your journey. I look forward to meeting you :)