I didn't know one thing about playing guitar when I started taking lessons from Josh. He is the best kind of teacher. He loves music, is so skilled, patient and knowledgable, teaches so well, and can tell what's going to help you move into a new level of learning but paces it so you don't get overwhelmed and give up. I returned to taking more lessons since this pandemic happened, and they have totally saved me. I'm writing songs differently, staying sane, plus get to spend an hour each week with one of my all-time favorite hangs.
I’m having a total ball playing guitar again after a long hiatus and Josh’s instruction has made it so much more rewarding. He’s helped me envision the kind of player I could become and contextualizes the lessons in support of that.
Josh is seriously the BEST! He helped my guitar skills improv so quickly, and was really able to help me in the specific ways I was looking for. I'm a singer/songwriter and am MUCH more comfortable accompanying myself at shows because of our work together. My improved skills have also led me to write more interesting music! I couldn't recommend Josh's teaching enough! I am improving much more quickly than I thought possible
Finding Josh was like winning the guitar teacher lottery. What you want in a music teacher is a fancy mix of teaching experience, musical aptitude + taste, and personality. All are terrifically important, but it's unusual to get them all at such high levels in the same person. With this instructor, you can expect: 1. Fluency in every major era and style of American popular guitar music. 2. Excellent taste, but won't judge *your* song or artist choices. 3. A music theory geek who won't breathe a word of theory to you unless you're interested. 4. Deep pedagogical experience. You're never going to be presenting him with a challenge he hasn't seen before, and he can keep you both inspired and realistic. 5. All the baseline working-musician and teacher competencies, but at a very high level: can play most things by ear, figure out different arrangements on the fly, troubleshoot your instrument, evaluate and help improve your performances, suggest individualized practice and rehearsal strategies, create video diaries of lessons to share with you, etc. 6. A compassionate and open-minded listener, both of your playing and all the other baggage you bring to the lesson. 7. A very modern online teaching setup, so your lessons are focused on your learning, not solving technology glitches. In the first six months of lessons, I went from absolute beginner (no musical experience or training whatsoever) to successful performer, onstage with a real band playing real songs. Since then, Josh has helped me continue to progress at a great pace. We've figured out how to play many things I thought were too advanced, he's introduced me to new artists and genres, and has pointed my training in directions I wouldn't have figured out on my own. He's also helped me evaluate guitars and other gear for purchase, and to identify solid repair shops. On the practical side, he's responsive and responsible about lesson appointments, correspondence and payment. If you have been nervous about starting to play (or resuming playing) because finding a teacher feels overwhelming, I encourage you to contact Josh. I'm really glad I did.