Doc Fleetwood

Introduction: I'm Doc Fleetwood, and I teach guitar, music theory, jazz, and music concepts and philosophy. I focus on my specialty: fingerstyle jazz, covering blues, and folk with some instruction in country, bluegrass, classical, pop, and rock guitar. I also teach skills and concepts of leading church and small group worship with guitar, and of playing as a member of a worship team. My Teaching Background: It's been my privilege to teach countless students for over 38 years. I am the senior guitar teacher at Uptown Music in Keizer, Oregon, having enjoyed a teaching relationship with the store for more than 20 years. A number of the current and past guitar teachers at Uptown Music were originally my students who have gone on to become excellent teachers themselves. With the obligatory introductory lessons, exposure, and apprenticeship to colleagues in various ensembles, 40 years playing, and 35 years of teaching experience, a tremendous amount of self-instruction and research, I offer a vast perspective of playing and performing experiences to share with my students. Performance Background: I have played in various ensembles and solo endeavors for over 40 years. I currently play in the unique violin, guitar, and trumpet jazz trio "Kilde, Fleetwood, and La Freniere" in the vocal and guitar duo BJAZZ, and various solo and sideman engagements. My Teaching Philosophy: I practice what I call "prescriptive teaching". The purpose is to determine your interests, background and learning style and build lessons that provide you with the tools and guidance to become the musician you want to be. I constantly remind my students that I can't magically turn someone into a guitarist in half to 1 hour a week, but I do provide the tools and guidance for them to turn themselves into the musician they are destined to be. I love introducing youngsters to the joy of making music and helping adults realize that lifelong dream of making music. Testimony: "Being a music teacher myself, I have really appreciated what Doc Fleetwood has to offer. He's a teacher of teachers and highly skilled on the guitar. I have learned so much from him the last 3 years. He never ceases to amaze me with his knowledge and expertise and goes out of his way to help his students. You can tell that he loves to teach and it has been fun playing some of his arrangements and original compositions. I have also enjoyed watching and listening to him as he plays in a professional Jazz Trio. (They have produced several excellent CD recordings). I am happy and honored to recommend Doc Fleetwood." - Darrell Robertson, Piano and Guitar Teacher, Guitar Instructor at Chemeketa Community College "I have been meeting with Doc Fleetwood for about six years now. I have enjoyed every moment of his instruction on the guitar. Doc uses a unique approach to teaching, in which he makes complex ideas easy to grasp. As result of this type of teaching, music theory has become simple and easy for me to apply to my music. I believe that music theory is of no use if it becomes a distant entity to playing music. Music theory should serve as a tool to take an individual’s creativity to another level. I have truly seen this take place over the years under the instruction of Doc Fleetwood. I have greatly enjoyed my time with Doc and would recommend his teaching approach to anyone who wishes to take their guitar playing further. As a result of his instruction and encouragement, I myself am now teaching and seeing others expand in their musical potential." - Ben Schott, Music Pastor, Champion Life Center, Keizer, OR ; Guitar Teacher, Uptown Music, Keizer, OR "I’ve been playing guitar for a long time, but recently, I had begun to feel that I hadn’t challenged myself to grow at it in years. Doc Fleetwood’s strengths as a teacher mesh beautifully with what I am looking for and need as a student. He’s a great listener and took the time to find out what I can already do well, using that as a resource upon which we can build. Deeply knowledgeable about music and music theory, he’s also very patient with me as I step out into uncharted territory. A great teacher makes a world of difference when learning a new skill. Doc has the chops as both a master teacher and musician to help students of all levels rise to the challenges they’ve set for themselves. I would recommend him without hesitation." - Loren Depping, guitar student, member of “Oregon Valley Boys” western swing band Rates and Availability: I teach from my primary studio in Keizer, OR, serving students from Portland to Corvallis, and I provide occasional consultations in the Portland area. I also now offer live online sessions using the Skype webcam technology for students who may live too far distant to travel for weekly lessons. I teach from beginning to advanced, and I also offer consultations for advanced students and professional musicians desiring to hone their skills and supplement their knowledge, particularly in the areas of fingerstyle technique and music/jazz theory. Please contact me regarding rates as they do vary depending on locations and technology used.