Our rigorous hiring process requires a completed application; an interview with
our professional recruiting specialists; personal and professional reference
checks; and annual criminal background checks for the duration of each teacher's
employment with us.
Background Check Complete
Criminal Background Check
In order to ensure the safety of our students, all teachers undergo a thorough
criminal background check, which includes: Social Security number trace,
multi-state criminal search and a nationwide sex offender registry search.
Levels: Beginner to Advanced
In-Home Lessons: Yes
In-Studio Lessons: Yes
Ages: 5 & up
Subjects Taught
Guitar, Music Performance, Music Theory
Education
Austin Community College - Associates of Arts in Music - 2007-2011 (Associate degree received)
Austin Guitar School - Private guitar lessons - 2001-2003
Specialties
I specialize in Gypsy Jazz, Swing, Blues, finger-style, classical and jazz composition, jazz improv. and music theory. I teach about musical form, jazz charts, & song structure.
Lesson Details
I'm laid back, calm, and not judgmental. I believe there should always be an equal healthy dose of both criticism and encouragement. I structure my lesson plan to the student's individual needs. If a student wants to become a professional musician or composer, I might devise a stricter lesson plan in order to prepare them for that venture, while if a student simply wants to gain the skills required to understand chord charts and sing songs, I would aid them in gaining that skill without trying
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to force additional studies that are not necessary to their individual goals. People all learn at different rates, some faster, some slower. My job as a teacher is to pinpoint my student's weaknesses in order to resolve them, and help them acquire skills and retain information at the fastest and most advantageous level possible.
Jim F. has worked as a guitarist in the Austin area since 2005 performing & recording with several different projects including: The Bees Knees Revue, Eric Hokkanen and The Gypsy Tribe, The Copperpots, Hot Club Soda, The ACC Big Band, and The Jeff Warren Johnson Band. In addition, he also collaborates with members of The Ghosts Along The Brazos, The Marshal Ford Swing Band, Aunt Rubies Sweet Jazz Babies, and many others. He began his musical education at the age of seven when he started
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studying violin, until he fell in love with the guitar in his early teens. At fourteen he began private lessons at the Austin Guitar School, where he learned about proper technique, scales, harmony, and improvisation from Mark Bish, and composition, finger style guitar, and arranging from Bret Boyer. Wishing to further his education, he enrolled at Austin Community College, where he studied Jazz harmony and improvisation with Dr. Russ Scanlon, classical harmony and ear training with Dr. Craig Nazor, and composition with Dr. Steven Sodders. (Associates of Arts in music) During his studies, Jim spent much of his time devising musical exercises and original compositions that were designed to improve his technique, improvisational skills, and general understanding of his instrument. Part of his lesson plan requires that his students learn some of these basic mental and physical practices, so that in good time they will form a more intuitive approach to musical problem solving. Jim specializes in Jazz: Gypsy Swing, Early Jazz, Bossa Nova, Finger Style, Flat Picking/country, folk, new grass, song writing, as well as musical composition, classical harmony, arranging, technique, performance, & standard notation.
