Hawk Point, MO Banjo Lessons

Dominic Castillo, a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, who was a student of Jerry's as well. After studying under these talented musicians, I went on to pursue my education in music and received my BA in Music from San Jose State University in 2004. I started teaching music privately during my time with Jerry and Dominic and continued to teach during college up until the present, and have taught hundreds of students since. I now live in San Diego where I teach, work as a freelance musician, and play in local funk/jazz/rock group Science Fiction Jazz and gypsy/kickstomp outfit Quel Bordel!

*** Lesson Details ***
I am a very easy going, friendly individual who believes that learning music is built upon a strong relationship between teacher and student. This relationship involves good communication, honesty, open mindedness, and most importantly the desire to LEARN and have FUN. I approach teaching music by knowing and understanding the student's musical goals, and teaching fundamentals, theory, and technique through the style(s) of music that the student wants to learn. For beginners, I tend to teach basic techniques and chords through simple songs to get the student playing music as quickly as possible.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Living Room: couches, table and TV, music stand, student can borrow instrument for first lesson, parents can sit in on lesson

*** Specialties ***
My main musical styles that I perform and teach are rock, blues, jazz, funk, R&B, and reggae. I studied jazz in college so I also have extensive knowledge of jazz theory.

lessons are taught in the music room in the home which includes an 88 key weighted keyboard, 5 guitars, 3 amps

*** Travel Equipment ***
If I go to their house, I expect them to have their own instruments that they practice on during the week, a metronome, a tuner and the music books they are working on.

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in jazz, rock and classical music. I usually allow the students or their parents to choose their method books based on their interests and goals.

ory that I knew how much I not only loved the thrill of playing music but the discovery of how it worked. With this experience I can show you or your child why learning an instrument can be not only an exciting experience but an interesting and enthralling one as well.

I have been teaching music for over 7 years and have had the privilege of teaching children as young as 4 to adults in their late 80's. I am a very attentive teacher who can not only help get you moving in the right direction but keep you on that path until your are a self-sufficient musician. A level of musicianship that simply means you can learn whatever you want on your instrument on your own, whether it be for business, pleasure or for mere self-improvement.

Through my own student career in private lessons I had the chance to study with graduates of the Musician's Institute (MI), the California Institute of the Arts (CAL Arts) and Berklee College of Music. This has provided me with an inside look into how and what each institute teaches, as well as a first hand look at the techniques and ideas that the great players from these remarkable schools have come to produce.

My formal music education consists of 2 years at Pasadena City College where I obtained my general Associates Degree (much of the studies included music) and a semester at California State University Long Beach as a Jazz Guitar Performance Major. Additionally, I completed a great deal of California State University Long Beach's teaching credential program (focusing on the teaching of history/social studies), where I learned strategies and theories of how and what to teach my students - making me that much more knowledgable of my craft. At Pasadena City College I studied with jazz/classical guitarist, Ron Berman, who has played with such jazz greats as Herb Ellis and Jimmy Wyble. At Cal State Long Beach I studied with jazz guitarist Ron Eschete, a former teacher at MI who has toured with the likes of Ray Brown, John Dizzy Gillespie and Jim Hall.

Most importantly I hope to show you or your child a new way to love and appreciate music. And to provide you with the ability and know-how to have the most fun on your instrument as possible.

*** Lesson Details ***
Throughout my lessons, I always encourage basic skills including scales, sight-reading and technical exercises. But what I hope to give all my students is a basic understanding of music and their instrument, providing them with a practical ability to navigate the vast world of music for a lifetime.

Beyond these skills, I always have songs, styles and theory for you to work on but I am often more interested in what you as an individual want to learn on your instrument. Getting to learn concepts that you have chosen yourself will help encourage practice and will make the finished product all the more the rewarding.

I can custom tailor a teaching curriculum and/or style for any of my students: we can focus on learning songs, learning to read, how to write music, how music works, and even how to play specific styles of music (including funk, rock, jazz, Latin, flamenco, classical, country and blues). I also self tailor my own worksheets and set weekly goals with my students to help encourage practice, understanding and progress. For students interested in more advanced concepts, I can also teach ear training, music theory, advanced jazz improvisation as well as advanced playing techniques.

All this in a friendly and easy-going teaching environment.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Located in my home garage, it is equipped with a small stage, an upright piano, an electric keyboard, a PA system, amplifiers, a drum set, a lap steel guitar, a pedal steel guitar, 2 cellos, multiple guitars, 3 mandolins, a dobro, a 5-string banjo, a 4-string tenor banjo, 2 ukuleles, 2 accordions and 2 electric basses.

*** Specialties ***
Styles: Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Metal, Funk, Progressive Rock, Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Various forms of Latin Music, Blues, and a few others.

Instruments: Beginning to Intermediate - Drums, Accordion and Piano.

Beginning to Advanced - Guitar, Mandolin, Cello, Banjo (5 String), Irish Tenor Banjo (4 String GDAE), Tenor Banjo (4 String CGDA), Electric Bass, Ukulele, Dobro, Lap Steel Guitar (6 String C6 Tuning), Slide Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar (10 String E9 Tuning).

I also teach the beginning and advanced concepts of:
Music Theory, Ear Training, Sight Reading, and Song Writing.

New York, and Los Angeles, and had many radio interviews scheduled to start the year. Their debut music video was premiered by The Huffington Post in March 2016 along with a feature interview.

Andrew also played the guitar/ukulele/mandolin chair in the pit orchestra for the show "Bright Side" which began in May 2016 and was showcased to pitch to Broadway. It's a musical written by Martin Kaye of "Million Dollar Quartet" (Harrahs Casino) and features a cast made up of performers from "Rock of Ages," "Blue Man Group," "Million Dollar Quartet," and others. The orchestra featured members of "Mystere," "Zarkana," "Vegas The Show," "Ka," and a former musical director for vocalist Andy WIlliams. He closed out 2016 performing in the musicals "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "American Idiot" alongside actors and musicians from "Ka," "The Beatles Love," "Million Dollar Quartet," "Blue Man Group," and "Rock of Ages."

Andrew's first 2 years in Las Vegas were also filled with many diverse performing situations up and down The Strip. These included a well-known top 40 and oldies band, a Mo-town tribute show, a country band that headlined the 2015 National Finals Rodeo, and a few others.

Andrew also owns an arranging and publishing company, HLC Publishing, which produces arrangements and sheet music for various Las Vegas performers, and a few cruise ship entertainers. Currently he is creating the guitar book for a new Rod Stewart and Tina Turner co-tribute act that will debut in February 2017, and he will also play guitar and mandolin in the show.

Andrew also teaches weekly lessons and plays Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings at Family Worship Christian Church. During the lessons, Andrew uses the same software as his professionally arranged sheet music, to keep a journal for each student as they learn, and the journal is regularly emailed to the student as a PDF file.

*** Lesson Details ***
Music Theory (Building Scales, Harmonizing Scales into Chords)
Ear Training
Single String Concepts (Scales, Arpeggios, Intervals)
Rhythm Concepts (Chords, Blending with a Band)
Learning Songs
Writing Licks, Lines, Chord Progressions, Charts, and Songs
Techniques (Pick vs. Fingers vs. Hybrid Picking)
Acoustic vs. Electric vs. Nylon String
Slide and Steel Guitar
Mandolin, Banjo, Ukulele, and Other Doubling Instruments
Playing in a Stylistically Appropriate Manner
Choosing the Right Equipment for the Gig or Project
Music Reading
How to Practice
How to Market Yourself to Acquire Work

*** Studio Equipment ***
various electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, ukulele, banjo. A few different amplifiers, and many different pieces of effect and accessory equipment.

*** Travel Equipment ***
various electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, ukulele, banjo.

*** Specialties ***
All Contemporary Styles (Rock, Blues, Country and Country Rock, Mo-Town, Jazz, Latin, Latin Jazz, Fusion, Metal and Tapping Style, Theater)

al needs and goals. Always an emphasis on FUN! My philosophy as a teacher is to give you the tools and help you develop skills with them so that you can learn and grow musically on your own! I look forward to helping you reach and achieve all your goals!