Troy, MO Music Recording Lessons

to get you READY to play music, but perhaps was not music in and of itself.

I find that when I get right down to the nitty gritty of playing, and show my students a song they love and know, and get them playing guitar by the end of the session that they are usually thrilled and excited.

In the end it makes them work harder and practice long because THEY ARE PLAYING MUSIC ON THE GUITAR!!!

Certainly exercises are of paramount importance, but when you can make that connection with a student and help them to relate to the guitar the exercises are ultimately easier to them, and the experience of playing guitar an enjoyable and less alienating task.

Grab your guitar and start today!! Let's get you playing TODAY!!!!

TESTIMONIALS:

“I've been working with David for a couple of months, and it has been a great experience. I'm new to bass, with a little guitar experience--he quickly sized up what I knew and had me working on exercises and a great bass line that got me playing right away. He has been very flexible and accommodating of my schedule needs, and he gives plenty of positive and constructive feedback. I've been working in education for nearly 30 years, and I know a great teacher when I see one. David fits the bill, and I'm lucky to be working with him.”

Rudy Ford, Principal
Charles Wright Middle School

“My son had been taking lessons for seven years and was losing interest. David's passion for music, knowledge of music theory, ability to read the student and know the best way to approach the lessons is exactly what my son needed. Along with his background in a wide variety of genres….classical, rock, jazz, etc. has made learning more exciting, resulting in a renewed interest.”

Tammy Sartain, University Place

“David is an outstanding instructor! My son is 5 years old and loves him. My son is occasionally a difficult child with his own special quirks, but David is so patient and observant and tailors the lessons as we go along week to week to keep my son engaged, encouraged and learning. I also have two younger children who must tag along to the lesson and even they are excited during the lessons and are already asking when they start their lessons! We will be starting at least one more child's lessons with him during this coming school year! He is great!”

Cherise Hartman, Parkland

“Loving the relaxed atmosphere with David. Bargain prices for the one on one experience with such an awesome, educated and talented musician.”

Raven Rose, Tacoma

“David is an amazing talent and provides me with much needed inspiration. In little over a year, I have learned a tremendous amount about nearly all styles of guitar, classical and lead guitar in particular. It's very helpful to have an awesome instructor who is extremely knowledgeable and very patient. His lesson plans are geared towards what I want to learn and the lessons that we work on cover all the techniques that are necessary to take my skills to the next level. He makes every lesson fun and he works with me until I am comfortable to move on.”

Larry Larrivee, Gig Harbor

“David tailors each lesson dynamically to my own progression which has been great. Gauges progression and gives you things to work on before the next lesson. Highly recommend him!”

Kory Jamison, Tacoma

"David has been our son's guitar instructor for the better part of a year. During that time we've appreciated his patient encouragement, especially during the early weeks of instruction. His ability to individually tailor his teaching to his students , incorporating their musical interests has helped our son progress quickly and helped keep him motivated. he really is a wonderful teacher."

Amy Lawty, Tacoma

"Where do I begin? I started with a guitar and a couple of chords...(A lot of desire but basically an empty canvas)." 'This was my life for a number of years until I met David.

Now I must first admit, I am ADD so teaching me and captivating my attention is no easy task...David not only broke through that barrier but opened the door to world of music I had aways felt and now suddenly I could touch.

If you posses the desire to learn and the drive to work...the sky is the limit."

Wes Hough
City of Destiny
Tacoma, WA

"I am very happy with my decision to take lessons with David. In just 2 months I've gone from strumming some chords to understanding picking patterns, learning how to put together an entire song, and expanding my techniques. I am very surprised at how much technical skill I have been able to pick up in such a short period of time"

Marianne Burch, Tacoma

"I'm 46 years old and my only known talent is for overcomplicating things. I've always admired a good guitar player and wanted to learn to play myself--who doesn't?--but felt I didn't have the talent or just "couldn't do it." Then I found David and he said, 'Oh yes you can. Commit to 4 lessons up front and you'll see that you can.' I took the leap and sure enough, he had me playing blues riffs in less than one month. All I had to do was listen and do as he instructed me to and it all comes very naturally. There's no stress, just a whole lot of fun! If you're like me and you thought you couldn't play guitar, start with David and just have some fun with it. It's simple. You won't want to put the guitar down again!"

Dan DuBeau, Tacoma

I had been playing guitar for about 5 years and had only been self taught. I found myself completely stuck playing the same chords and not able to play riffs or solos at all. In my first lesson I was playing the blues with slides and hammer ons and pull offs. In a couple of lessons he had me soloing in different keys and playing riffs from guitar gods! He was able to teach me in a couple lessons what took me years trying to teach myself! He makes lessons so much fun because not only are you learning the music theory but he relates it to popular songs that you can practice along with. He also has so much knowledge in other aspects as well. He can teach you about music gear and amps or help you compose your own music. He caters to your style and taste in music and can teach you ANYTHING!

Ashley Allen

I love guitar period, but it's overtly frustrating when you have no idea where to start, or how to play at all. I went through multiple guitar instructors trying to learn how to play and each of them weren't very specific, or didn't hone in on any one thing at a time so you could really start to get it down and process it. Then we happened to find David, and he was really what we were looking for. I started picking up chords like no other, It helped, and is helping tremendously. He goes into depth about the song,letting you comprehend it a little more, and ultimately learning it quicker and better.

Skye Reed, Tacoma WA

I have had 4 different Blues guitar Teacher in the last 6 months, getting nowhere as far as really playing some Blues until I ran across David. The other teachers just wanted me to learn the pentatonic scales, Major and Minor. That took a lot of boring weeks and I am sure I will need to know those scales but I just wanted someone to show / teach me Blues chords, related to Blues songs and the timing to the chord changes so I could start playing some kind of Blues. I have had 6 one hour lessons so far with David and I am playing the Blues. The first 4 hours Dave showed me a E, A, B7 blues chord progression with some step up and step down notes. The 2nd 2 hours Dave showed me a A, D9, A7,E9 Blues chords and Blues timing with slides.

I take one hour Lessons every Thursday and in 6 hours I am playing the Blues. I picked up the guitar about 6 months ago, started teaching myself and not really getting anywhere. I am not a fast learner, about average in learning something new. Now I set a home Learning my guitar and polishing the Blues songs that David has taught me, starting to get FUN.

Les Fairley Tacoma, Wa.

Working with David has made me focus on areas of my chops that needed fine tuning. He provides the basic exercises and tools that, when practiced enough in a zen-like manner, clarifies your understanding of movement on the fret board, and makes you sound a bit more professional. Questions regarding speed, theory, notation, composition, and even string size, are ready for answer with David, which is what keeps me working with him. From begining, to intermediate, to professional levels, if you're looking to improve your chops, Dave's your guy.

Frank Lorenzo, Seattle WA

I had tried many different instructors and had become very frustrated with trying to learn guitar. Within one lesson David had me playing ACDC and RUSH! David just has a way of explaining things so that they make sense and doesn't waste any time getting right down to the nuts and bolts of guitar. A lot of other instructors spend alot of time getting you 'ready' to play guitar, but with David we got down to playing guitar right away!

Stevie Johannsen, Olympia WA

“I started receiving lessons from David a few years ago, to improve my guitar abilities. I always used to tell people, "I've been playing guitar since the Eighties, though you would never know it." At the time I started, I knew some Metal riffs, three-chord Punk Rock progressions, and simple 12-bar blues. Though I took two guitar classes and first-year Music Theory in college in the early Nineties, the only scale I could say I knew was "blues pentatonic," emphasis on the quotation marks.

My goal was to relearn Modes/Scales, and brush up on theory, so that I could write more complex material. David taught me that, and so much more. Over these few years, I've learned Progressive Rock, Fusion/Jazz, and even some Country styles, as well as a great deal more about Metal and, yes, even Punk from David. I can play leads and solos with much more proficiency, in timing with the rhythm, and more tonally correct, than I ever could before. He has also helped me read music better, construct more professional-sounding compositions, and has started me on my own path to produce my own recordings, from recommending and using recording software, to capturing dynamics with mic placement, to mixing the rough takes to get the most out of the sound.

For a musician of any level or caliber, having an instructor like David is a true asset--for he has the knowledge and skills to take an entry-level musician every step of the way to becoming a professional performer, recorder, mixer, engineer, and producer. The only limit to the lesson's potential is your own level of determination, which David quite expertly helps you to improve with every session. Even if your goal is to simply learn to play one song on one instrument--and David teaches MANY instruments--he will have you playing that song like the musician who wrote it before you realize it--as long as you stick with your practice between lessons. That part's up to you!”

Marc Q Digby, Apple Valley CA

*** Studio Equipment ***
Mac
Logic
Presonus
invariable guitars, amps, keyboards, and other stuff.
Tama drumset, Full Mic's.
University trained mind and honed skills. Who cares about the software.

*** Specialties ***
Generally come from conservatory/ classical background so utilize classical methods of teaching with a contemporary application to suit modern day application

urriculum based on students needs, wants and aspirations. We will focus on proper technique, theory, musicianship and sightreading to become a better all around musician. After a few months of lessons, you will have the proper fundamentals to grow as a musician and discover the art of music.

*** Studio Equipment ***
All necessities on site.

*** Specialties ***
I am well versed in many styles, I have played professionally and teach, ALL forms of Rock, Jazz, Blues, World (ethnic musics), Pop, Acoustic, Folk, and most other styles.

I also supply relevant exercises and music theory to accelerate the learning process.

Piano Lessons
I differentiate between concepts and skills, while stressing the importance of mastering both. As important as it is to understand the intervalic relationships in something like the major scale, this knowledge does little for the pianist if she or he cannot pick out the notes to the different scales in real time. In observing that each person demonstrates unique learning patterns and abilities, I have learned that some people will come to understand the conceptual through mastery of memorized tasks while some will succeed with technical mastery only after achieving some conceptual understanding.
Voice Lessons
Having first begun singing at 22 years old, I know first hand that it’s never to late to start singing. Having some experience in school but not fully as a professional till in my 20′s, I have learned from some of the top professionals in the South Florida area. My first vocal lessons was with Gloria Estefan’s back up singer Jon Secada. Jon has his first hit “Just Another Day” that stayed at #1 for several weeks. His one lesson really helped me use singing in my gigging around town. From that time on, I have used this technique for all my students. focusing on JUST BREATHING, has helped many of my students.

Teaching Sound Recording
Working in the early 1980s with recorded music and computers, I was introduced to the new wave of recording at its birth. At Miami Dade Community College, I taught and assisted students in Composition, Sound Development, and Sound Recording using Mac computers and PC’s. As of this day, I personally teach recording in Logic Pro, Bias Peak and Mastering using Waves plug ins and having finished products in Mp4 format and or CD’s.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Mac with logic pro software instruments, piano seating for parents

*** Travel Equipment ***
expect students to provide paper and pencil and put in practice time on their respected instruments at least 30 min a week

*** Specialties ***
Alfred,Hanon,Rubank Advanced Method for instruments.

les that may seem too hard to the student. I will start my students off with the basic vocal warm ups and then move on to material that they would like to cover and if so the student doesn't have material to cover, I will present them with material. Being a singer is not easy at all, so I will challenge my students by giving exercises that challenge them to sing for proficient. I will also bring in material that is brand new and ask the students questions about the piece. The student is in the lesson to learn everything about music, so any type of material that I feel will benefit them and help them move closer to their goal, I will definitely present to them. After 3 to 6 months students will be able to sing in the 3 minor keys and the major key. The student will also have knowledge and know how to sing at least 3 different modes. The singer will know how to read basic sheet music and perform it with solfege. The singer will also have 4 songs of my choice or their choice mastered and ready to perform in front of an audience. Lastly, the singer will have knowledge of proper breath control while performing, usage of a microphone, and intonation.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Piano/ Keyboard
Music Stand
Water

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in classical, gospel and R and B singing.

jean in Les Miserables and John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, as well played in orchestras across the county. I performed as both a bass player and a vocalist in the Massachusetts All-State Jazz Ensemble at Symphony Hall in Boston.

I moved to New York to get a degree in Theater as a singer and actor in 2004. Since then I've been fortunate enough to work in NY orchestras, cabarets, theater and national TV, tour the world with a variety of musical artists, work as a studio musician recording albums for songwriters, and develop musical education programs. Most recently I curated and taught the bass guitar curriculum for Yousician, a Helsinki-based music app with 25 million users in 154 countries worldwide. That has been an invaluable experience, working alongside educators and programmers in one of the world's leading countries in both education and technology.

Music has been a life-directing guide for me; from the wonder of discovery to the mastery of new and exciting techniques, music has always been a sort of way for us to communicate intimately, yet on a universal scale. To pass the same experience on to others is such a gift, and one I value greatly.

"When words fail, music speaks."

So, let's start talking!

n a short time.