Guitar with Andre M.

I have been teaching guitar for more than 10 years. I do have great experience teaching kids in the New York area. Nonetheless, I have taught students with different ages (6 to 60!) and with opposite tastes and styles of music. That made me aware of the many possibilities and directions one can take. My experience taught me to adapt to the student´s goals while being able to communicate the formal methods or strategies that define the understanding of music as a whole. My goal is to ensure the student has a general sense of musicality and at the same is able to gather the right tools to learn and play the music she/he likes. I have a bachelor´s degree from Berklee College of Music in Guitar Performance and a Master´s Degree from New England Conservatory in Jazz Performance. I have my own projects and collaborate with many musicians, performing mostly in NYC, but having also toured in the US, Panama, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Australia and all over Europe. I speak fluently English, Spanish and Portuguese. *** Lesson Details *** I like to divide my lessons in two parts: first we address the most formal aspects of the lesson, most of the times using a method book or given hand-outs or whatever relevant material was suggested to the student; the remainder of the lesson is dedicated to work on the student´s choice of a song or anything less formal suggested by myself. This scheme for lessons might be different regarding the level and commitment of the student, but it is in general the outline I use. There are a few books that I like to use (Alfred Guitar Method, Berklee Guitar Method, and others), because I think they are a great tool and guideline to complement my own notes. I expect the student to have a notebook with staffed paper where I can write the lesson´s summary and topics to be practiced. I like lessons to be fun and relaxed while expecting the student to be able to perform the weekly assignments or goals. I think, in most cases, after 6 months with me, students will be able to play basic chords for chosen songs, play several simple melodies and read a beginner/intermediate piece for guitar. *** Studio Equipment *** I have amplifiers, music stands. *** Travel Equipment *** In this case I don´t provide anything other than handouts on the selected topics. *** Specialties *** Most of my private students are interested in Jazz, Blues, Rock or Brazilian music. But overall, I teach guitar and music according to the students musical taste, background and level.