My Approach

The goal in my music lessons is for my students to become well-rounded, competent, and creative musicians. Music is a language and a powerful form of self-expression. As an instructor, I aim to teach my students how to use their instruments to communicate with music.
Good technique and proficiency on an instrument is foundational to becoming a good musician. Before someone can write poems or novels in any language, they must first learn what the words mean and how to construct sentences. My primary musical tools have been the guitar and the bass. Thus, I teach students how to play music by teaching them the guitar or the bass.
However, there is so much more to music than technique. Good music requires the musician to have good time, listening, feel, tone, groove, and much more. Knowing when not to play can be as important as knowing when to play. I find that the best way to learn the subtleties of musicianship is to play along with songs or other musicians in a live format. This is a way of "learning on the job" and it provides a more experiential and engaged way of learning. This approach is a defining feature of my lessons, and I find that as students learn songs and improvise along with them, they not only improve the tangible techniques and skills they are working on, but they also start to discover their own musical voice.   
I believe that a complete musician feels the emotion of the music that they play -- that is to say they play by feeling rather than by thinking. I listen to my students to understand what types and elements of music get them connected on this level, and tailor my lessons to help them become more effective at expressing it through their instruments. This process identifies each student's natural inclinations and strengths, which I aim to highlight and develop, as it will serve them as the bedrock for their future growth and creative endeavors in the realm of music.