Acoustic Guitar with Judy I.

In my early childhood, my parents owned a 77-acre riding stable. There was a radio in the barn that was always on “for the horses” and a jukebox (dating myself here) in the clubhouse. I loved hearing all those songs (of the ‘60’s) and singing along! One day, a man came to ride and also brought his electric guitar and an amplifier. Later that day, I watched him as he sat on top of his amp, singing and playing the songs I had been hearing and I thought “WOW….I DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT!!!! From then on, I was obsessed with how I could learn to make that happen for myself. All these years later, I still get that same sense of discovery, excitement and mastery when I am able to play a piece of music that I heard and totally fell in love with. That passion is what I strive to pass on to each student I encounter...one lesson at a time. I've been a Michigan-based performer, songwriter, and teacher for over 30 years. I've played extensively in clubs, coffeehouses and concert venues. I've also written and recorded my own original music. The release of my 2007 CD, "Leaving Home" resulted in two 2008 Detroit Music Awards nominations for "Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Recording" and "Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Songwriter." I finished among the top 30 finalists (out of over 600 entries) in the 2008 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. My most recent CD, "Remember Beautiful" was released to a sell-out crowd in 2013 and several of the songs from it have been featured on Folk DJ playlists throughout the U.S., Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. I am very proud to say that several of my students are now "out there" creating their own musical paths, a couple even transplanting themselves to Nashville to write and record their own songs. I am very grateful to be able to pass on the same kind of legacy that a guy sitting on his amp and playing his guitar passed on to me.