I bring 30+ years of guitar and bass playing and performing experience to every lesson. But my ability to teach effectively comes from more than just musical skill, it comes from years of coaching youth sports, music, volunteering and the love of giving back to my community.

For years, I coached young people in soccer and hockey, working with kids and teens to build confidence, develop skills progressively, and create positive learning experiences where they could succeed. That experience taught me something crucial: how people actually learn best.

From coaching sports, I learned that students need three things to succeed:

1. Clear, achievable goals. Not overwhelming theory or distant milestones. Weekly progress is tangible. They can see, feel, and hear results.

2. Positive encouragement. Success breeds more success. I celebrate what your child accomplishes and build confidence through real achievements.

3. Real skills, not just concepts. Your child doesn't need to understand music theory to be a good musician. They need to play. They need confidence with the instrument. They need to experience what it feels like to make music.

That's exactly what my teaching approach delivers.

I bring both expertise and real-world musicianship to my instruction.

Combined with my coaching background, this means I can:

Build confidence: Your child will feel like a musician from week one, not months down the line

Create positive learning: Lessons are encouraging, focused, and celebrate progress

Develop skills: Your child will actually play guitar or bass, not just study concepts

My teaching philosophy is simple: students who are having fun and making real progress stay engaged.

That's why I teach using tablature and chords, so that your child is playing the songs they love from the very first lesson, making music right away.