The Traveling Teacher
I offer guitar, banjo, and songwriting lessons, in-person (in the Sacramento area, or sometimes on the road!) and via Skype. Here's my angle: I was a self-taught guitar player until I went to school and received a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle WA in 2004, with a focus on guitar, voice, and music composition - but I never really caught on to "formal" lesson-taking. Through my self-taught days I learned a variety of tricks to make things as easy as possible while finding options for many different chord sounds, and formal schooling taught me the theory behind what I was doing and what other possibilities where out there. I want to teach folks how to play the songs they love, and how to write their own, if they want.
- $40 a pop. Lessons usually run about 45 minutes
- Bulk deal - $150 for four lessons, which will save you some bucks
For inquiries, contact Joe
Teaching Philosophy
What I find is that most people want to learn how to play the songs they love and maybe create a few of their own, to share with family and friends and to express themselves. As a self-taught player at heart, I learned many tricks along the way that made playing easier and more comfortable, and also discovered a wider palate of sounds to choose from. One of the main points in my teaching is to help you learn how to learn the songs you love.
There is a perceived distinction nowadays between "musicians" and "non-musicians" that didn't exist not too long ago. The whole community used to be involved in the music-making process, before there were iPods and radios and top 40 hits. I believe music making should be accessible to all people. It has the capacity to bring joy and deep understanding to anyone who seeks it. A person's own musical style is like their handwriting or finger prints - no two are the same, none more worthy than another. If you have the drive to learn to play music and go after it, then it can be yours!