My guitar journey kicked off on a Christmas back in 1987, the year I got my first guitar—a gift that unexpectedly charted the course of my life. The first three months were grueling, filled with self-taught lessons while I waited for a spot on a guitar teacher’s schedule. The training I eventually received was tough. I learned chords and scales the hard way, with no room for simplification or ease. If I couldn’t get it right, I’d toil until I did. My creativity was left unguided, and I distinctly remember the struggle with bar chords and the enigma of creating guitar solos. Unknowingly, these challenging days were sowing the seeds of my future teaching philosophy. The biggest benefit to learning this way was that I started to make my own connections and musical vocabulary. It led to me developing my own musical voice. Though I didn’t realize it at the time.
By the following year, I joined my first serious band, leading to my debut gig—an experience that was exciting – we were going to play our own music; IN FRONT OF REAL PEOPLE!! Throughout high school, my bands performed in talent shows and local events like ‘RockFest’ in Londonderry, NH. Each group, from First Evidence to Gunshy and M3AC, marked a significant phase in my musical growth. The growth came in several key areas; Writing, performing, writing and playing guitar solos, arranging and music production. Playing original music to larger audiences (like playing at the packed Manchester NH club “Industry”) was a great feeling.
Joining Betterman’s Rule was a fusion of energy, excitement, and experience, climaxing with the release of our CD ‘The Paper Anniversary’. I also got to play at the legedary New York City club CBGB. In Soundtrack To Monday, our sound was (in my opinion) a tribute to my admiration for Van Halen, bursting with vitality and innovation. While playing in these bands; I pushed my creativity to the brink which helped me improve even more as a guitar player and songwriter. My tenure with Mo Bounce was a plunge into funk and R&B, expanding my horizons and honing my musical skills. Each band really helped me to improve across a variety of areas and also helped me develop some of the very same skills I use as a teacher. Specifically the real world use of all of the music techniques and topics that I teach.
My teaching philosophy is rooted in ease and accessibility. It draws on things I learned while I was taking lessons while drilling deeper into topics such as: music theory, playing chords, understanding rhythm and timing, creating guitar solos that drip with feel and emotion, understanding the fretboard and writing music. I focus on demystifying the guitar for beginners, allowing them to play real music swiftly and enjoy the instrument from the get-go—a stark contrast to the arduous path I walked. Every lesson is a step towards helping students discover their unique musical voice, mirroring the diverse and enriching journey that music has gifted me.