I really can’t say enough about this one. Just watch it.
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Still another absolutely brilliant video on the mind, education, and learning.
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As of July 1st 2008 lesson prices will be:
First lesson is free, after which:
Studio Lessons
$40 per/lesson
In Home Lessons
$50-100 per/lesson
(Depending on your location)
Volume discounts available on all lessons!
-Tyler
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Here’s a quick little arrangement I made of one chorus of “Footprints” last Sunday. The recording is of draft quality (3rd take sight read) but you get the idea.
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A couple of my students have written some nice things about me. You can read them below.
Tyler is an excellent teacher. He’s helped me to get a much better grasp of the fretboard and to break out of the pentatonic box. I feel that my knowledge of theory has come a long way since my first lesson with Tyler. He has a real talent for simplifying seemingly complex concepts.
-John Shea
I learned so much so easy from Tyler and he’s flexible about lesson times and all that so it makes it so you can do things on your watch. He’s a nice guy so he’s always willing to help you learn whatever you want when you come into a lesson. His lessons speak for themselves, because recently I was in a room full of guitarists, half of which were taught by Tyler and you could pick out which ones he taught because they all weren’t playing the same clone-ish riffs over and over. Musically he’s the smartest person I’ve ever met but he always remains down to earth. If you wanna learn how to be a musician instead of just another guy with a guitar Tyler is definitely your best bet.
-Brian (Age 14)
(Tyler) is very good at guitar. He is patient. He takes things slow to begin but he starts to speed up a little bit. He starts off teaching easy and slow songs then he builds up to more difficult songs. He is very nice. He won’t mind if you have to cancel a lesson. He will always help you with whatever you need. He will not mind if you want to learn a specific song. He is always willing to help you on anything you need help on. I hope you have a great time with Tyler because I DO!!!
-Jacob (Age 13)
Tyler is a great teacher with unbelievably large amount of knowledge, and best of all, the ability to share this knowledge. He is not like your typical teacher who just asks you to play something; he tells you why you play what you play and what you can do to improvise. If you want to know about the theory of playing, and really improve your playing, he is the best you can have. Definitely recommend!
-Petri Nira (Business Professional: Finland)
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So now that I have a “personal blog” I decided that I may as well use it for the betterment of my students and man kind and whatnot. You can expect my entries to be a complete wash of random things that I find important with no consistency or coherence in any manner.
And so, for my first entry, I give you the most important video I’ve ever watched… this week, on the subject of intelligence.
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Among other things, I try to write as frequently as possible -mostly as a way of documenting all of the knowledge that I collect, synthesize, and then share with my students. The result of these efforts is a guitar method, which as of now, I have casually titled The Intellectual Guitarist.
You may be asking yourself why there is no link to purchase this title. The reason for this is because, although it is currently complete in its 27th-ish edition, it is not yet published, as I am a compulsive tinker-er when it comes to my own work. Hopefully I can get it out before 2009…
If you’re dying to get at the information, I have written some very rough articles which are available at IntellectualMusician.com/Oakleaf or I usually just give out the materials when you study with me privately.
When the book is finally published I will make about 90% of it available online for your reading pleasure. So I guess we’ll both have to have some patience until that time.
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There are few things that are as important to me as teaching, which is why I continue to teach despite having success in other areas of music. I feel it is my obligation to share the information that I’ve spent all too many hours decoding, reworking, tinkering with and synthesizing. The idea that someone somewhere would ever need struggle and frustrate, the way I did in order to acquire the knowledge that I now possess, is incredibly disturbing to me.
For this reason I try my best to adhere to the following principles when I teach:
- Understanding
–The most frustrating thing for myself as a young student was that I could physically play my instrument well, but I had no clue as to why I was playing the notes I was playing beyond seeing them notated in the music. - De-mystifying & filtering for practical information
–It’s hard to find good information on music, and as a result it is even harder to find people who understand it. Billy Joel, after an interviewer had referred to him as a “genius,” was famously quoted as saying “I am, as I’ve said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.” Thus, in my teaching I try to remove mystery, dogma, misinformation, and bad advice until you are left with nothing but naked facts, truths, and workable tools. - Reality
–A good quantity of my students go on to make decent livings in musical fields, but most don’t. It is possible to become a musician without living inside of a practice room, just as it is possible to become a millionaire and never break a bead of sweat doing manual labor. Hard work does pay off, but not without the knowledge to back it up, be it learned or intuitive. It’s OK that you’re not a musical robot. I want my students to come away from lessons with tools, not stress and workloads.
Oh, and I try to keep things fun. I have a weird sense of humor and I’m not high strung …at all. But you’re paying for knowledge so I don’t mess around in that respect.
If you’re interested in lessons please use the form to contact me and I’ll email or call you at my first opportunity. I have a rather fluid schedule but it does tend to fill up, as I have a nasty habit of over-extending myself from time to time, but currently there is no waiting list.
-Tyler
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The best way to get in touch with Tyler about lessons, or any other matter, is to contact him directly through the online contact form.
You may also contact us with the following information:
toakleaf@berklee.net
605-929-5858
Oakleaf-Arts.com
6 Wigglesworth ST, APT 1
Boston, MA 02120
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Musicians Tyler has studied with:
- Scott Tarulli
- Mike Williams
- Stephen Croes
- Richie Hart
- Jean Marc Belkadi
- Ken Pullig
- Gregory Fritze
- Chris Buono
- Jane Miller
- Gilson Schachnik
- Dennis Leclaire
- Ivana Lisak
- Robert Harrigan
- John Marasco
- Rick DiMuzio
- Daniel Gilbert
Tyler Oakleaf, professional musician and music educator, has been involved in music for nearly all of his life. His father, ironworker and
mechanic by trade and drummer by night, was very passionate about music, playing whenever he had the chance. This passion for music did not overlook Tyler, for by the age of three he was accompanying his father to local gigs, and on many occasions stole the spotlight by singing several numbers.As he grew, music remained an important part of Tyler’s life. He began playing piano at age six, and by ten he was studying saxophone. At age thirteen Tyler was turned on to Led Zeppelin, and, after several months attempting to emulate guitar solos with his sax, Tyler decided to pick up a guitar for the first time.Tyler became interested in music education his freshman year of high school. Having become well known locally for his skills as a guitarist, he was often asked to give lessons to other students in his school.But Tyler did not fully realize his potential as a teacher until late that year when he enrolled in a guitar class at his high school, when after attending only a handful of classes Tyler was asked if he would be willing to teach an advanced section of the class. Tyler continued teaching the class every year until he graduated from high school; as a junior, a full year early.Tyler has had the unique opportunity to study guitar with some of the world’s greatest musicians. He has also attended some of America’s most prestigious contemporary music schools including a short stay at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA and at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where he will soon complete his Bachelors of Professional Music. Tyler and his wife, who is an artist, currently reside in Boston, where he runs his own freelance music business. Any student planning on studying music with Tyler can expect an unheard-of level of commitment and planning. Tyler works hard to ensure that all of his students achieve their musical goals, no matter what they may be. It is this level of musicianship and a sincere devotion to all of his students that sets Tyler apart.
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