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MORE ABOUT LESSONS
My name is John Shapiro, and I teach private and small group lessons for acoustic guitar and/or singing/voice from my studio located in the West Highlands neighborhood (close to 32nd and Lowell) in Denver, Colorado. I offer customized, fun, inspiring lessons for never-ever, beginning, intermediate, and advanced students that are taught according to individual interests, goals, and pace.
I teach students of all levels/abilities: people that have "always wanted to play guitar and/or sing but..," beginners that falsely believe they have no talent for music, and people that are just plain interested but don't know where to start. I have a friendly, low-stress, highly effective approach to teaching. And if needed, I'll help you with the process of finding a guitar that is suitable to your budget and needs.
Lessons are available for acoustic guitar only OR singing only OR guitar/singing combo in most musical styles (folk, rock, pop, country, blues, jazz, R&B, ethnic/world, bluegrass, classical, etc.) complimented with relevant, accessible, hands-on music theory instruction. Songwriting lessons are also available. You are also welcome to take lessons using your electric guitar.
The first lesson is free, and there is no obligation or pressure to continue. At the introductory lesson, we will assess your musical situation, map out the beginnings or continuation of your unique musical path, and get started with instruction.
Most teaching materials such as printouts, practice CDs, etc. (except copy written materials the student may need to purchase on their own) are provided without additional charge.
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MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Music is often taught in an abstract way that is not relevant to the student's interests; much time and emphasis is placed on scales, theory, and undesirable songs before the student starts to learn music that inspires them. This often leads students to believe that learning music is an arduous chore they must endured before any gratification or satisfaction can be gleaned. Understandably, many students that find themselves in this learning environment soon end up quitting with an unfavorable opinion of learning music. If the student is a child, sometimes their parents "make" them continue lessons despite the child's negativity towards lessons; this often leads to the child not continuing to play the instrument on their own when the lessons cease.
I approach teaching in a different way. Simply put, I work to ensure my students are making music they enjoy as soon as possible. Singing students will leave their first lesson with some things to practice and some practical knowledge that they can immediately apply and begin to see improvement in their voices. Guitar students will leave their first lesson being able to play a few basic chords and a basic song; because everyone learns at a different pace, sometimes this takes two or so lessons. From there, I work with my students to cover the most relevant, useful aspects of music first while creating a customized musical path that is geared towards the student's interests, desires, and goals. I want my students to enjoy themselves and their unique music journey and to be inspired and fulfilled. I don't cover aspects of music that the student is not interested or will not be useful to their goals and interests. I cultivate self-sufficiency in my students. So they can increasingly play and learn on their own if they desire.
I run the business side of my teaching with fairness, transparency, integrity, and honesty. All of the information about pricing and policies is easily accessible, and there is never a "hard sell".
A SPECIAL NOTE TO THOSE WHO THINK "I CAN'T SING" OR "I'M NOT MUSICAL"
Learning to play music and sing is like learning anything else: you can get there if you are willing to have a positive attitude, an open mind, and spend some time practicing. This is especially true when it comes to singing: so many people believe that one is born with the ability to sing or not. The truth is that some folks develop good singing habits and some people develop bad singing habits. And learning how to sing well is simply a matter of re-patterning your bad habits into good ones. I teach music and singing in a simple, straight-forward ways that are easily understood and applied by anyone... Even those who may think they are non-musical, can't hold a tune, and the like.
AND...
Please contact me contact me if you have any questions or would like to schedule a free intro lesson.
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