Bass and Guitar Instruction

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Finding a teacher isn't just about how good you think they are. Their ability to connect with a student and explain what they do is equally as important. I think that the ability to apply the lessons to real life are even more important.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. You get what you put in. It takes a lot of practicing and time to become good at what you do. There is no magic tip or pill to make it happen.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Students should know their goals whether they are to play for fun, teach , play Madison Square Garden, or just improve on a certain skill.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I feel my work stands out from others because I apply all of my teachings to real playing situations. Each lesson isn't just an exercise for the sake of it. I try to make every song or scale learned into something that is usable.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The thing that I like most about teaching is seeing the progress of a student. The moment where the student starts seeing and hearing improvements is the big payoff of all their hard work and efforts.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. The most common asked question is," How long will it take me to be able to play." My answer is always, " The more time you put in on your own, the faster you will be able to play." "If you practice the hand strengthening exercises a few hours each day from the first two lessons, you should be able to physically play the bass in 2 weeks."

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish my students knew that my skill level didn't happen overnight. I made playing bass and music my life and my work.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I heard someone play "Peter Gunn" slap style on the bass and it made me want to play music. The excitement from the sound that instrument made hasn't died through the years.

Q. What are your most common types of jobs?

A. Being a performer first, my most common jobs are club dates in Europe to 500-1000 people. In the summer during festival season I will play to 5000-10000 people!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. Just last week I was in Norway playing the Blues in Hell festival and soul singer Bettye Lavette got up on stage with us during a rendition of " I've been loving you for too long" by Otis Redding."

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. In order to keep up on things I go out and see as many bass players as I can to try and learn their licks.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. I think that the power of the internet will change the way musicians present their music and teaching. Being able to do these things online opens us up to a global market.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. My most recent project was a 10 day tour of europe. It took 7 flights, consisted of 4 shows, and spanned 4 countries. We visited Belgium, Switzerland, England, and Norway. It didn't cost me money even on my four days off!

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. My rates are affordable please call me to find out more.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Learn as much as possible and be patient with yourself.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Why should anyone study with you?
I care about the students needs but know enough about what they need to succeed at their goals. I take the time to listen and tape each lesson and email it to the student as a practice tool.