LESSONS Page Published!
Hello all!
I’m excited today to announce that I have my LESSONS page published on the site! You can find it under the “MORE” tab above.
It’s nothing crazy, however it does give me a chance to show what I offer in terms of guitar and piano instruction. It gives a little of my background, and then offers up some of the resources that I’ve begun to use.
I will be honest with you in that my time is a little limited during the week due to the “blessing” of gigs picking back up this year. I’m hoping that I will still be able to take on more students for Lessons, however, if the demand grows beyond what I can handle around my performances, then I’ll have to reorganize how I manage it all.
For now, I’m just very grateful for the 4-5 students that I have: 3 guitar and 2 piano students. Most of them come to my studio for an in-person appointment, and on occasion I’ve gone mobile to provide my services. I haven’t given any zoom lessons yet, although if it needs to come to that, I’m willing to give it a shot. I’m not sure if that experience would work for all, but we live in uncertain times and safety is of utmost importance.
Don’t laugh.. this is me in 7th grade getting my first electric.. I was SO proud! History in the making!!
Recent guitar related update and opinion:
I recently added an additional guitar student to my roster: Laura. She is a long time friend that loves music (we share a love of metal) and she has always wanted to learn how to play guitar. She initiated the conversation by reaching out to me for advice on acoustic guitar strings. After a few qualifying questions, I realized that she was in the process of figuring out which path to take on guitar: to start on acoustic and work up to electric.. or vice versa.
Opinion: The idea that you should start on an acoustic, and then “build your strength” and eventually get an electric is a myth IMO. Acoustic strings are usually thicker, the neck of an acoustic is thicker, and the body of an acoustic can be a challenge for someone with a smaller physique.
The electric guitar neck can feel smaller in the hands, be easier to play (due to the slinkiness of the strings), and has a smaller body to contend with while sitting on a stool, or standing with a strap. Of course the electric needs to be purchased with a cable and a guitar amplifier in order to properly hear the sound, so there’s a possibility of it being a little higher on budget when you first buy.
Anyways, these are some things to think about, and everyone will be different, with different challenges, and different goals for learning how to play. I can offer my expertise, and I can offer assistance in guiding the purchase process if you have that need so we make sure you get everything to get you started!
Laura decided to buy a Fender Stratocaster, and it’s gorgeous.. and I know she’s in love with it. Here it is in the picture:
Piano instruction information:
I started taking piano when I was in the third grade. I kept it up all the way through high school, and continued with a few piano classes in college. I am offering to teach piano to Beginning students up to the Intermediate Stage. Honestly, I wish that I could tell you that I have excellent piano skills, however, although I can get around on piano just fine, after I picked up guitar around 7th/8th grade, I started to realize that guitar was most likely going to be my forte.
On my Lessons page, I highlight the resources that I’ve started to use for piano lessons, and I’m so grateful for these books, because I’ve seen both of my piano students go from “never touched a piano” all the way to playing a duet with me in a “holiday recital” video that I recorded at the end of the year privately for their families.. in 6 months! It was pretty amazing.
I would have to recalibrate and find more mature versions of those resources for adult piano students, but I’ve been doing research into that world, and there is a lot of great books that we would have access to. So, I’m confident in announcing that I could deliver piano instruction to anyone ages 5/6 on up to adult!
Wrapping up:
I hope that in your life journey you can find time to learn an instrument. There is research that suggests that learning an instrument early in a child’s life aids in the development of the brain, and ends up creating advantages in many other disciplines and strengthens education.
As an adult, I believe that you’ll find an emotional escape when you know how to pick up and instrument (or use your voice) to create music. It’s a beautiful thing.
The year 2020 was quite challenging on many levels.. but it did give me time to rearrange my calendar to start taking on students. I’m so thankful for that because now that I’m active in delivering instruction, it helps me to remember that I’m getting a chance to “give back” the knowledge that I’ve gained.. and I’m sharing that with other people… And I get to give that to the next generation as well. I’m excited!
Go to the LESSONS PAGE HERE.. and if you would like to see about setting something up CONTACT ME HERE.
THANKS
-Tom Blair
