Last week I was elated when I received this letter from one of my students who was about to graduate High School, and will be attending Berklee in the fall. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, and from a person who is going to be a great musician. I just had to post it.

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June 1, 2009

Dear Tyler Oakleaf,

Hello Tyler, I am writing this letter to you because I wanted to invite you to my high school graduation at Symphony Hall on June 12th 2009. I wanted to reflect on how you were a very important individual in my life because you taught me well during the last two years and I have grown to new levels of musicianship because of you. My lessons with you were great. I learned about Berklee, life as a musician, and so much about music, how chords function, what is a chord, what is a melody, so many things that I needed to know to be where I am right now.

Right now I am actually in Berklee taking Ear Training 2 and Harmony 3 because my school has a dual enrollment program where I can take classes at a neighboring college on scholarship. I have also already completed Ear Training 1 and Harmony 2 in the Fall 2008 semester. I have gotten a $15,000/year scholarship from Berklee from my audition, and am competing for a Berklee Continuing Scholarship from Berklee City Music in the summer. This year at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival (2009) I have won two judges choice awards in both of my ensembles, and the incredible honor of Most Outstanding Musician (festival-wide). This year I started playing trio with bass and drums, and have competed in IAJE all state combo festival and won gold. Recently there has been a competition for Boston Public School music students to audition for the Fidelity Future Stage Boston Pops Contest, a contest where they pick four acts and we open up and play featured with the Boston Pops on May 20th, 2009.

These awards and scholarships did not come from luck. It was from hours and hours of hard work and over a year of lessons with you. Wherever I end up as a musician, I will never forget who I learned from. Thank you, Tyler, I hope to see you on June 12th!

Thanks,

Chris Juris

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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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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. I know first-hand the hard work, frustration, and toil it takes to attain a basic level of musical competence–and I would hate for anyone to needlessly suffer the way that I did when learning the craft.

For these reasons, I try my best to adhere to the following principles when I teach:

1. 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.
   –Students who are having problems, or have reached a limit with their playing, or don’t practice–often get labeled as lazy or untalented: However, this is rarely the case. While contemporary music education tends to substitute repetition for substance, the key to many student’s advancement is being given the opportunity to lift the hood and be shown how the pieces fit together.
2. De-mystifying & filtering of 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.
   
3. 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.
4. Fulfillment
   –Every website, of every teacher, ever… touts “having fun” as a core principle. True fun in music comes not from simply making noise, but from the joy, confidence and fulfillment that comes from having a command of the language.

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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First lesson is free, after which:

Studio Lessons in Winthrop

Discounted rate of $40 per/lesson

Payment:

• The first attended lesson is completely free.
• After the first lesson it is expected that you pay in advanced for the next 4+ lessons before attending the second lesson.
• After the fifth lesson, (1st + next 4) if you intend on continuing, you will be expected to pay for another block of four lessons before continuing with instruction.

Lesson Policies:

• Lessons must be canceled 24 hours in advanced of scheduled appointment to be excused.
• Any lesson unattended without proper noticed will be billed.
• Lessons once purchased are not refundable.
• Lessons once purchased must be used within 3 months of purchase.

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Q: Are students required to purchase any books or additional material?
A: No, all lesson material is written and provided by Tyler.

Q: How old are your students?
A: All ages. Currently my youngest is 5 years old, and my oldest is 67. However, if students are younger than 8 serious parent participation is usually beneficial.

Q: What style of music do you play/teach.
A: My teaching is not “style-specific”. Although I am somewhat partial toward contemporary music,
such as Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Country, ect…

Q: Do you teach anything other than guitar?
A: Currently, I am also available to teach saxophone, music theory, and ear training, as well as giving clinics and seminars about music and guitar.

Q: Do I need to bring an amp with me?
A: No, All you need is your guitar and yourself. I have plenty of amplification, and if you need, I can even lend you a guitar for the lesson.

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We’ve moved!

My studio is now located at the following address:
23 Somerset AVE, #2
Winthrop, MA 02120

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I also make house calls in addition to giving lessons from my studio. Please note that the price for an in-home lesson is slightly more expensive due to travel and preparation factors.

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