Guitar with Mike B.

I teach all styles of music and all levels of ability. As I look back at my life, I see that music was my constant companion. My passion for music, and more specifically for the guitar, goes back to the time when, as a ten year old I received a guitar for my birthday. The sound of the instrument truly struck a chord in my heart and I learned to respect and love the instrument to the point that I thought of it almost as a companion, as something alive or, more exactly, as something my fingers could make come alive. At first I wanted to play rock and popular music, but eventually I switched to classical. When I entered the realm of classical music, a whole new world opened up for me -- new feelings, new emotions, and new challenges. My enthusiasm for music continued, and beginning in 1990 I attended the Hartt School of Music, part of the University of Hartford. I knew, of course, that the education of a musician is truly never finished, and between 1995 and 1997, I took Master Jazz Classes in New York City, under the direction of Dennis Cinelli, the international guitar player and soloist. While in Florida, I attended classes at Florida International University. Between 2000 and 2003 I played in an orchestra on board the ships of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. All along the way I have been teaching the guitar at just about every level, an activity that I always enjoyed but admittedly is somewhat limiting. Teaching brings us back to the basics, but for a musician performing is what makes us grow professionally and satisfy us emotionally.