Guitar with Ryan S.

About Ryan M. S.: My love of music began at a young age through playing piano, percussion, and guitar and continued to grow throughout my years of schooling. I graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in May of 2013 with my Bachelor of Music degree with a Concentration in Music Composition. I have since been spreading my knowledge of music throughout my local community through teaching, playing, and composition. I have released two music albums, one in 2011 and the other in 2013, in which I played percussion, drum set, guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and sang while also recording, electronically programming, composing, and producing the albums myself. I have been building my studio for over eight years and have acquired many pieces of equipment that help me teach, compose, play, and produce music. I have a driving passion to enhance the value of music in the Denver Metro area and I believe that teaching music to anyone and everyone who seeks to understand it is the first step. Ryan's Experience: I have always enjoyed teaching others. Even in high school, I consistently helped my peers with their learning and enjoyed helping them learn how to play percussion instruments. After starting college in 2009, I began formally teaching percussion privately and in groups at high schools in my area. I have since expanded to teaching guitar, bass guitar, and composition, incorporating compositional elements into all of my lessons. I have found that encouraging students to explore music through composing original material helps them in every other facet of learning music. There is no better feeling than watching a student succeed at expressing themselves musically and I strive to teach them all the tools they need to do so. Ryan's Methods: My main philosophy is that every student is different and should be treated accordingly. The methods I use are specifically tailored to each student and can be methods that I have learned or developed myself. I start students off by asking them collect ideas about their instrument and the music they enjoy. From that point, I begin to simultaneously teach technique and musicianship in relation to their expressed interests. The key to my teaching method is that I ask difficult questions and then I give the student time to think and develop an answer. Students are expected to think for themselves as I guide them toward answers that are best for their success. Ryan's Teaching Style: My style of teaching is personal and caring. Whether my students develop a desire to pursue music beyond our lessons, I care about their happiness and personal success in life. I develop a relationship with my students and I really enjoy it when I hear that they used a concept I taught them in our music lessons for something beyond music. I at least hope to instill a strong understanding and enjoyment of music in each of my students which they can share with the people in their life. Art is about connection and understanding and my teaching style reflects this idea.