My dad was a gentle, kind, polka-loving WWII navy veteran, and a few years before he passed away in 2018, he and my mom traveled here to Seattle from California to see me and my students perform at the rowdy student concert we have twice a year. My favorite moment was performing “Wagon Wheel” with my music-teacher friends, while I …
That time my ’52 Martin got run over by a car…
A tale of tragedy, redemption, and an awkward encounter at my high school reunion…
Cover of “Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine
So mysterious, so impossibly beautiful…one of my favorite songs from a songwriter like no other.
It took a Quarantune to turn my weekend around
Sometimes I forget how important music is during times of stress. This past weekend, I was feeling beat. Being in the U.S.’s epicenter of the virus outbreak has been exhausting. The days spent scrambling to switch my private students to online lessons, reading the increasingly dismal news, and worrying about my friends and family had taken their toll. Even my …
What Kinds of Songs Sound Good Played Solo?
This past week I shot my next premium song lesson, Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” It was a real coming-full-circle experience for me, having learned it when I was 14, and played it countless times with friends and strangers and girls-I-liked-who-just-wanted-to-be-friends over the years, and now teaching it to members of Heartwood Guitar. It got me thinking about why …
Almost $1k in Donations–Thank You!
The 2018 Christmas Carol Songbook was a huge success, bringing in $942, which I split between two worthy causes: The RAICES Families Together Fund, which works to prevent the cruel separation of children and their parents at the U.S. southern border, and Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Uncompensated Care Fund, which helps cover the care of sick kids here in Seattle. Huge …
Another song lesson video: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley
Here's my latest free song lesson video: A beginner lesson on Leonard Cohen's amazing "Hallelujah." My arrangement is inspired by the gorgeous Jeff Buckley cover. If you enjoy it, please subscribe to my new YouTube channel. Here's the chord chart. It's been so fun releasing these free song lesson videos over the past couple weeks. I remember the excitement my ...
Free Christmas Caroling Songbook
This past Saturday I attended SMooCH, a fantastic fundraiser concert for Seattle Children's Hospital. Macklemore headlined. Free drinks and food. It was a religious experience. Well, religious except that I was freeloading. The ticket was a gift from a student, I took advantage of the open bar, and I didn't give a dime. We're on a tight budget this year, ...
Looking for an Awesome Practice System
Musicians and teachers, I need your help. Have you used a system for tracking guitar practice that really motivated you or your students to stick with it? I’m hoping to integrate a proven tracking system into the online guitar course I’m creating. Plus, it’d be awesome to use something like this with my private students. I know how to teach …
We Have A Winner
Congratulations to Wesley for winning the 2013 Summer Cover Competition. Wesley won a $100 gift certificate to Musician’s Friend. Here’s his incendiary performance of Link Wray’s “Fire and Brimstone” that earned him first place. You can see the full results and the other competitors (who were also excellent) on the Summer Cover Competition page.
