Guitar with Zack R.

Hi everyone! My name is Zack and I'm a guitar and violin instructor hailing from Chicago, IL, and currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been playing violin since age 9 and guitar since age 10, gaining experience ever since playing live and in the studio, in bands and as a freelance artist. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2015 with a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance and now play in a metal band and pursue a freelance career. As a young student, I spent many years as a member of Midwest Young Artists, performing and studying classical music with Dr. Allen Dennis and jazz guitar with the renowned Frank Portelese, playing venues such as the Harris Theater in Chicago. I toured Greece and Peru playing violin, and studied classical performance with Vadim Mazo of Illinois Wesleyan University in Prague at Ameropa ’06. I was a violin student of Gail Lilja-Kirkeeng from a young age, and was taught guitar by Rex Carroll of christian heavy metal band, Whitecross, and later when on to study rock and metal guitar with Joe Stump and Jon Finn at Berklee College of Music. I have opened for acts such as Five Finger Death Punch and Rob Zombie, and even accompanied Dream Theater onstage as the principal second violinist for their live DVD release, Breaking the Fourth Wall. My musical background is mostly based in classical music on violin, and rock music on guitar, although I consider myself very well versed in many different styles. Topics I generally like to begin new students with are scales and modes and how to apply them, basic posture and correct pick/bow technique and left hand placement, and the note names as they apply to the instrument and basic sight reading. I firmly believe that every student is unique with different styles, voices, and goals and that any lesson plan should reflect that. Whatever you want to learn, I’m here to help!