Private Guitar tutoring lessons Westwood, MA.

ies ***
rock, jazz, experimental, composition, rhythmic approaches, improvisation, musical notation techniques

it in their respective genres. Improvisation is a truly important aspect of playing music, and one which I will give due focus to. Besides this, I will teach the student technique, chords, scales, songs (chosen by both the student and, at times, myself), and later on: theory (including harmony and ear training).

I have a Master's Certificate in Theory, Harmony and Ear Training from Berklee College of Music's online extension.

*** Lesson Details ***
In my 'about me' section I have laid out in a general fashion what I will teach you.

I am very patient with my students. I focus on the qualities of effortless action, patience, contentment with our current abilities while striving to attain (eventual) mastery.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can provide an acoustic guitar, a tuner, picks, and sheet music. I expect the student to have a guitar, a tuner, extra strings, and picks.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in modal improvisation. I also can teach some art philosophy and philosophy related to art.

different concepts they incorporate
3 Ear-training/pitch recognition. Strengthening the ability to "pick up" new material more quickly and translate ones Ideas to the instrument.
4 Music appreciation/Musicality. Listening to new and different types of music focusing on the different elements that make up a great performer/performance.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Music Studio: piano, stereo system, no drum there! room to sit for parents
A1: drum kit, whole performance set up with recording studio, room for parents to sit in on lesson

*** Travel Equipment ***
amplifiers, cd/mp3 player

*** Specialties ***
ear training, most musical styles (pop/rock, r&b, reggae, jazz , world)

than 30 years, I am currently the Director of Worship for the chapel at Gordon College, a small Christian school north of Boston. I'm often involved in city-wide music events in Boston’s faith-based community and in demand as a featured musician for church services, parties, concerts and other events.

I hold a Masters of Music from New England Conservatory in Jazz Piano and am comfortable and fluent in a number of musical styles. In addition to private lessons and performing, I do music transcription, workshops, and all forms of vocal and instrumental arranging. My passions include morning coffee, finding new guitar chords, creating killer PowerPoint presentations, and trying to figure out how to use my smart phone.

*** Lesson Details ***
My priority as a teacher is to make the learning process fun, life-giving, and productive. I teach with patience and humor, at a challenging but not frustrating pace.

Some quotes from my students:
"I absolutely love learning from Bil! I've watched my playing and the playing of others at church vastly improve as a result of his training."

"[Bil] is filled with a large amount of knowledge, so while sitting under him you not only learn about how to play but you learn about music history and theory. Beyond being a good teacher he is genuine and friendly and cares about others."

"I have really enjoyed working with Bil. His patience and wealth of knowledge has helped me come out of my musical shell and has encouraged me to discover my musical voice."

"Bil makes learning theory fun! His deep understanding of music is complemented by his contagious enthusiasm."

"Bil has taken me to a different level. I went from tab and basic guitar chords, to building jazz chords and a far greater understanding of music theory."

There are at least two ways that might set me apart from other teachers.

Firstly, I have honed and developed "people skills". I am an ordained minister and have held positions where I was formally and informally in a mentoring/pastoring role. I bring that sensitivity to my music lessons, understanding that personal and emotional issues can be triggered by the engagement with the music and skills being worked on.

Secondly, I've had a remarkable broad base of experience. My coursework has exposed me to a wide breadth of ideas and tools; my work life has been long and varied; I have had extensive experience in many different cultural contexts, both musically and otherwise; and I work well with many age groups and skill levels.

Regarding my teaching approach:
For beginners, I have a fairly consistent set of topics and skill sets to cover. Generally, in a few months, piano students (particularly those in middle school through adulthood) should know how to play major, minor and seventh chords, how to read simple chord charts and some very basic accompanying skills. Guitar students should know a dozen open chords and have been introduced to barre chords, and to have learned several styles of finger picking as well as strumming. Bass students should know how to find notes on the board and will have begun to learn how to fill out a song with an expressive but non-obtrusive bass line.

For intermediate students, the pace, direction and focus on lessons depends upon the goals and passions of the student along with the amount of time he or she has to practice. My goals for students at this level and beyond is to learn how to learn. I will use outstanding recorded examples of particular skills or stylistic idioms to help my students understand and master each new concept. I often will check in with my student to make sure that we are on track with what they are hoping for.

For advanced students, we will generally target very specific objectives. I also try to add elements of theory, history, culture, and even life lessons to apply to the topics we address. Because of my background in pastoral ministry, I can serve as a mentor addressing the emotional and relational issues of playing music as well as its technical aspects.

*** Studio Equipment ***
upstairs music room: fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, amps, drum set, seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
if for guitar or bass, that instrument; I expect piano students to have an available keyboard and for other students to have their own instrument(s).

*** Specialties ***
strong in jazz, rock, pop, gospel, sacred, R&B.

rning. Music lessons should be fun and I always keep that as my number one priority while also making sure that my students are getting a solid musical education that they will be happy with now and in the future. I pride myself on being patient, enthusiastic, empathetic and always prepared. I’m familiar with all of the most popular methods and have also created a large library of my own teaching materials.

During my career, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to teach several different populations in the US, Greece and Germany. These diverse experiences have been extremely challenging and helped make me into a stronger teacher. From 2001-2003 I taught at the Center for Individualized Training and Education(CITE) which is a special needs school in Providence, RI. At CITE, I worked with students ages 6-17 and learned a lot about how to use music to bring joy to students who are not necessarily able to engage in a traditional musical education. In 2016, I created a music program in Athens, Greece for refugee children seeking asylum. I worked in conjunction with the School Box Organization to raise money for instruments, and taught guitar and hand drum classes at a school they had set up in a refugee squat. Although I'm no longer at the school, I am still helping to oversee the program and plan to do more of this work in the future. During my time in New York City, I worked with kids attending some of the most exclusive private schools in the country and dealt with the challenge of fitting music into an extremely demanding and high pressure educational environment. All of these experiences have helped shape my teaching philosophy as well as my views on life and music. I am currently teaching students in Boston as well as online lessons in Canada, Europe and the US.

hands-on lessons. I really enjoyed doing it and so I wanted to offer lessons to others who might also be interested.

I'm very flexible about how you may want to set up the lessons. Once I understand what you're looking to achieve, we can build a course of study that fits your schedule and goals. Let's chat and get you started playing music!