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
