9+ years experience teaching
22 years experience as a guitarist/bassist.
15+ years of Extensive tour/performing experience
Worked and Played for acts such as Prong (2019 Guitar Tech/Asst.TM/Driver), Static-X/Dope (2019 Crew/Merch/Driver), Nita Strauss (current live Bassist/Stage Crew), Angel Vivaldi (Guitar Tech/Key Grip), Michale Graves (2017 Bassist/Driver/Stage Crew/Guitar Tech), Children of October (2016 bassist), The Independents (2015 bassist), Black Cat Attack (2014-2015 Lead Guitar), Darrow Chemical Company (2013-2014 Lead/Rhythm Guitar), Darkness Descends (2011-current 7 string guitar)
What you will learn?
I focus on the investigative approach to make the students figure out what their unique direction as well as covering the standard model of music theory and study.
-Technique
-Theory
-Diversification of Approach
-Social Promotion
-Performance (Basic to Advance)
-Content Construction and Development
I am a professional music teacher/touring musician who just recently moved to LA from NJ. I have worked as a touring Player, Guitar/Bass Tech, Driver (Class A CDL), Assistant Tour Manager, Key Grip, Crew, etc., for bands such as Nita Strauss, Angel Vivaldi, Static-X, Dope, Michale Graves(ex-Misfits) and the list goes on. So you can say I do things… I am a self-taught musician that understands the difficulty of coming to grips with the forever journey that is becoming a musician. I have unlocked a few sets of rules to stick by to expand each student to their fullest INDIVIDUAL potential. Most important is:
Rule #1 Don’t Forget to Have Fun! That being said, the road to Fun does take hard work. My unique approach exploits each student’s focused accomplishments along the way while showing them how to use those tools to bypass the years of staying stagnant in either technique or creativity.
Rule #2 It Won’t Feel Like Work if ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS PLAY! (Dont treat it like work, JUST PLAY) I don’t look at running scales like it a painful exercise, I’m just playing. In the beginning, almost all of my “exercises” were just made up chromatic runs to make my hands faster, but I never knew where to go from there, so I stayed in this stagnant pool of never-ending noise. Adapting the process of the “investigative note approach” we learn how to adapt the proper intervals to get the feeling we desire along the way, creating our OWN voice.
Rule #3 It doesn’t matter so much HOW long you play, but more WHAT you play WHEN you do! (FOCUS) Following this rule keeps you focused in a resistance type mindset and using your time WISELY! I use a series of schedules to rotate between LEARN, WRITE, HONE, RECORD, MOVE ON. Doesn’t have to be in that order, but i have realized over the years of hearing different artists stories along side my own, that our brain seems to move in cycles, so we have to pay attention to what cycle we are in, without giving into distraction. If you learn how to pay attention to your own habits, you can maximize your progress.
Rule #4 What is more important than the Noise your guitar makes?……… The Noise it DOESN’T make! It doesn’t matter how good you can shred through a run if the guitar is simultaneously mating with whales (excess noise from strings not being played or muted) Its a TWO hand 10 finger job! Learn to run with sea legs, instead of crawling with crutches. By the end you’ll be creating tension and release through melody and beat and you have to do then is Want to Speak!
