1^st lesson free

Mark

Rate R486
Response 1h

R486/h

1^st lesson free

Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Classical Guitar

Experienced tutor in Guitar in Brick Township, Mark offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Classical Guitar

Lesson location

- online

About Mark

Let me help you become a competent musician who knows their instrument completely. I teach music fundamentals and theory along with technique. Whether you are looking to up your game with advanced fingerpicking technique or want to know the neck like a walking chord encyclopedia I can help you get there. Whether you are interested in reading music and playing standard repertoire or you want to be a competent improviser I can help you get there with structured meaningful lessons every step along the way. I believe in coaching practice as well in order to optimize retention. Strategies like contextual interference will help boost the economy and effectiveness of your practice sessions.

About me:

I earned my first Master's degree in Music Performance in 1994. Since 1995 I have been employed at various colleges and universities as a professor of guitar performance. Currently I teach at Ocean County College in NJ. In 2009 I completed teaching certification in NJ for Teacher of Students of Music and Teacher of Students with Disabilities along with a second Master's degree in educational psychology.

Over the years I have been an active performer in original and cover bands as well as a session player in every genre from Bach to Rock. I've also played many solo recitals on Renaissance lute and classical guitar. Over the past decade I have become enamored of the harp guitar and currently play a custom made 21-string modern nylon harp guitar and an historic 17-string kontraguitar with a neck made in 1924 and a body remade in 2019.

Music is never "background music". I've never really understood that term. I love music and whether I'm composing, playing, teaching, or listening I feel right for following my passion. Teaching music means I get to be actively engaged with my favorite thing in the world.

As a college freshman at Wagner College an older friend asked me to teach at a music school she had recently been employed at. They specialized in very young students 3-4 years of age in "munchkin" classes through high school age. I had never taught before and was very nervous. It turned out to be a very rewarding job and I continued to teach there until I had to move out of state for graduate school.

I hold Master's degrees in Music Performance and Ed. Psych. as well as teaching certification in the State of NJ (Teacher of Students of Music and Teacher of Students with Disabilities). I have been teaching guitar students privately since 1986.

About the lesson

First I assess the student's level of ability and general knowledge of their instrument and music theory. I then make a plan with the student based on their interests and my assessment. The plan has both long term achievements and multiple short term goals so a student has an idea of where they are in the process as we work together.

I am proud to say that I work with students from 4 to 75 years old and every possible background and ability level. Some of my former students have gone on to prestigious schools like the Juilliard Conservatory and Berklee College of Music and many just play for enjoyment. Working toward my teaching certification I learned a lot about working with students with disabilities and feel strongly about maintaining an inclusive teaching practice that welcomes all learners.

Look for someone that teaches you about musicianship and how to apply that to your instrument. There are plenty of people who teach with the "put your fingers here then put your fingers there" approach. You can get that for free on YouTube if that's what you want. A good teacher cares about teaching you how your instrument works, music fundamentals and theory, and most importantly effective practice strategies. Building or improving to a strong foundation is the best strategy no matter where you are on your journey.

Just before the recent shut down in March 2020 a guitarist friend asked me to arrange for him to play at Ocean County College, where I teach. It was literally the last event held at the school before the shutdown. He played a fantastic recital and I joined him on lute for some English and Italian duets from the late Renaissance. It was honestly the most fun I've had playing in some time and we spoke afterwards about performing more frequently as a duo. I'm really looking forward to playing those gigs with him when venues open up again.

A few things worth thinking about before reaching out
What do I want out of lessons? Knowing this, even vaguely, will help you ask questions of a prospective teacher to find out if they can help you.

Am I able to commit to practicing for a certain amount of time every day? Practice doesn't have to be boring rote repetition but it does mean a commitment of time and effort every day. There are practice strategies that make learning easier and help things stick better but without commitment and consistency they are useless.

Can I commit to regular lessons? Learning anything new means not only committing to regular practice but also the regular assessment of your progress. A qualified teacher can see the small changes that occur over a week and offer strategies to help improve progress. Unless you are already a very advanced player it's difficult to do this for yourself. Can you commit to taking lessons either weekly or once every two weeks? Can you stick to it for a few months so that you can see your progress?

Am I advancing adequately on my own or with my current teacher? This is a hard one to write about but should be said. Some teachers are a cult of personality or you view them as a friend. While it's certainly nice to be friendly and even be friends with your teacher it doesn't always mean you are advancing. It's OK to move on when you realize you are stuck in a rut. Change isn't always comfortable but it's important to make the change if you want to get better. Sometimes a teacher is really good but just not a good match for what you want to learn... which leads back to the first question in this list.

Rates

Rate

R486

Package rates

5h: R2430
10h: R4860

free lesson

The free first lesson with Mark allows you to get to know the tutor and discuss your needs and expectations.

online

R486/h

Details

1/2 hour private zoom lessons are $30.00/lesson.

1 hour private zoom lessons are $50.00/lesson.

I do not offer group lessons.

Lessons are paid a week in advance to reserve a time.

To receive credit for a future lesson or a makeup lesson cancellations must be given 24 hours in advance.

I understand that life circumstances can and occasionally do require some leeway in these policies. I do make exceptions for students as long as it does not become a regular practice to cancel at the last moment.

Experienced tutor in Guitar in Brick Township, Mark offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Lesson location

About Mark

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Package rates

free lesson

online

Details

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Experienced tutor in Guitar in Brick Township, Mark offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Lesson location

About Mark

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Package rates

free lesson

online

Details

Similar Guitar tutor profiles

Tarryn

Anele

Keenan

Jean-Marc

Rafif

Tamryn

Nick

Waldo

Armin

Adebayo

Yahyã

Marvin

Benice

Roz

Paul

Gene

Leigh

Sydney-James

Lorenzo

Andrea

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