Private Instruction
George offers private music instruction on guitar, bass guitar, Native American flute, and keyboards, and accepts students of all levels and styles. He specializes in Jazz and improvisational skills as well as music theory. He has been teaching private lessons since 1974, and has taught at Lyon Healy Music, Just Guitars, Palatine Music, Schaumburg Music, Consolidated Music of Barrington, and The Players Bench Music Store in Crystal Lake. He retired and moved from Illinois to the Tucson area in 2015. Currently he is accepting a limited number of students in his home studio. In addition, he has conducted workshops on improvisational playing, and MIDI and digital recording.
Educationally, in addition to his private lessons and schooling, he graduated with a B. A. from Loyola University, received a diploma from the Berklee School of Music Correspondence Course, and has taken the Howard Roberts Guitar Seminar. He has also studied with many of the top Jazz players in the Chicago area.
Lessons focus on teaching the beginner basic music reading skills as well as music theory, so that the student develops the necessary skills for advanced level study. Daily practice is expected of each student so that they can make sufficient progress on their chosen instrument. Lessons are private and can be arranged for a half hour, or, for more advanced students, a full hour. The ability to read music is greatly encouraged.
Lessons are available for a limited number of students by appointment. George is also available for improvisational workshops. Contact George directly by e-mail.
A question that is often asked is "What is your teaching philosophy?". First and foremost it is important that the student learn about music; how to read it as well as the theory behind it. It is necessary to learn from method books in order to develop sound basic skills, but once this is accomplished, the student is encouraged to work on pieces that are of their own choosing to supplement the other materials that they are studying. By working on pieces they choose, this allows the student some "recreational" material to help keep them motivated in their studies.
Another way to put it is that these are music lessons, not just lessons on the student’s chosen instrument, so that they develop the skills to understand music beyond just being able to play a particular piece on a particular instrument. These skills then enable them to apply what they have learned to any instrument. Understanding the theory behind what you are doing allows you to apply what you have learned in new ways, in new situations. This is much better than rote memorization of a particular piece, without any understanding of what is being played.
The main thing is that the student learn good basic skills, and theory, while still playing the style that they want as soon as possible, so that they are not only learning, but having fun doing it. That combined with good practice habits will allow them to progress in a steady manner toward what ever their musical goal may be. There is no substitute for good practice habits, without which, no matter how good the teacher may be, the student will not be able to make good, consistent progress.