About Me

It all started when…

When I started playing guitar on my own and tried to learn songs by ear. A chance encounter with a classical guitar teacher in college in Chicago led to lessons and eventually a degree in guitar performance.

I had such tremendous respect for my teacher in school that I knew I wanted to do something similar. After some time traveling and a short stint living in NYC, I came back to Chicago to make a go of it as a guitar teacher.

The challenge was finding the best method for teaching lessons. After all, the guitar is such a versatile instrument and every student has different interests, different goals, and different learning styles.

Years later, I’m confident that I can help students of all ability levels reach their goals. By focusing on music that people actually want to play, we can work on lots of important skills without the process feeling rote or dull.

Music theory, sight-reading, and technique are all important, but instead of starting with exercises, or having every student play the same song from the same book, I’ve found the best approach is to focus on the music that you’re excited about. Some people are really into blues-rock lead guitar licks while others are really passionate about jazz. After years of lessons with students from all sorts of backgrounds, I’ve found how easy and enjoyable the experience can be when we focus on music that excites you.