"I really enjoy tutoring people and helping them understand their subject better. With more than 44 years of experience teaching at universities, public schools, community education programs, commercial music stores, in private practice, and on the internet, I've developed an ability to work with students effectively in a personable, patient, clear, and understanding way. I've taught more than 26,000 individual lessons and 160 sections of classes such as guitar, piano, ukulele, music technology, percussion, music theory, ear training and sight singing, guitar pedagogy, guitar literature, music composition, creative music, and more.

I hold a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degrees in music theory (including extensive classical guitar studies). I also hold a certificate for auditing a master class led by Christopher Parkening at Montana State University. I've received several awards, such as Artist of the Week by the Grand Forks Herald newspaper, the Americanism award, and being named one of the "Faculty Stars" when I taught at the college level, plus many certificates of appreciation. Recently my business was named "Best Music Services Business - U.S." by LUX Life magazine.

I have studied many different music subjects including guitar, piano, bassoon, accordion (many other instruments and voice too), music theory, ear training and sight singing, orchestration, music education, composition, counterpoint, arranging, jazz history, Western music history, history of music theory, music analysis, music theory pedagogy, and more. I studied orchestration/arranging with three different teachers, including Pulitzer-prize-winner Dominick Argento, and performed guitar in a master class lead by multi-Grammy-award-winner Sharon Isbin. I regularly create recordings and videos, which are on YouTube, Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, and elsewhere. I have performed hundreds of times in the US, China, and Canada. My complete portfolio and samples of my work are available upon request." less...