education


Philosophy

Since I can remember I have always had the desire to learn more about life and music. To grow as a musician is to grow as a person and this requires energy and a passion for being creative. Essentially a guitarist, musician, composer, performer, teacher is a creative artist, one who can never stand still in their thinking or their expression. This means allowing spontaneity to flow through your work and play. I have come to accept this reality after years of trying to perfect the art of playing as I watched the perfection I desired move from my grasp like the horizon itself. Accept, that is, when I didn't care what I was doing, when the purpose of my playing and writing was to simply experience the joy of playing and writing. The feeling is perfect...the notes?? That was irrelevant. That's not what it's about. Experiencing this wisdom is one thing, remembering it, another. That is the process of learning and also teaching. This is what I endeavour to share with my students whether that be in one on one classes or large workshop settings. This is the essential message in my teaching whether the student is 7 or 70, whether they aspire to play for a hobby or as a professional makes no difference. Ones natural skills, desires and soul journey will take care of the rest.


Workshops

Since returning to Australia from a four year stint as Artist/Teacher at La Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan in Mexico I have presented the workshop series One World One Music. These workshops endeavour to promote the interconnected nature of different genres and styles of music and encourage students and teachers to be open to new and different ways of creating and teaching music. The famous Argentinean composer Astor Piazzola remarked that, "Being is risk... mix styles and smash formulas... perfection is death. Long live imperfection!" - Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992) In a way this is how my own music has come about and I feel this sentiment describes well what I try to do with my teaching.

Whether the focus be ensemble playing, basic technical exercises, harmony, sight reading, improvising or experimenting with different styles of playing such as classical, jazz, rock/pop, folk, Latin or flamenco the main goal is always to allow fusion, spontaneity and creativity to do the teaching.