Teaching Philosophy

There are many ways to learn to play guitar—and many excellent musicians are self-taught! But many people reach an obstacle before they have the skills to play the music that brought them to the instrument in the first place. My teaching bridges the gap between that feeling of perceived difficulty and the skills that allows for someone to play the music they want. Whether you are just starting out or coming in with years of experience, I’m excited about working with students who are beginning to understand what an odd instrument the guitar is—its physically challenging shape, which requires the guitarist to contort their body, stretch their hands, and callous their fingertips. I bring to my lessons the same enthusiasm that kept me engaged with learning and eventually made playing the guitar feel more than doable, but enjoyable.

  • For absolute beginner students, this looks like learning the fret board, basic chord shapes and picking patterns. Proper positioning of the instrument. Left hand and right hand strengthening.

  • For guitarists with at least one year of experience, this looks like assessing current playing skill and goals. Learning music theory of the guitar and developing improvisational skills.

  • "Izzy is a wonderful combination of patient, strict, and supportive, fostering an environment where learning becomes easy! They are remarkably talented and always made me feel welcome!"

    —Former Student

  • "Izzy is a phenomenal teacher! I started learning guitar with them, specifically for bluegrass backing. They customized my lessons to my genre interest, and were all around a fun and patient instructor."

    —Former Student

  • "Izzy was great! Their instruction was precise, patient and attuned to the specific goals I had for music performance. I left every lesson feeling very motivated to practice further and I learned a lot more than I initially anticipated under their guidance. It is also difficult to overstate how pleasant it was to work with Izzy. In case it isn't already apparent, I'm immensely grateful for the support they provided."

    —Former Student

  • "The dexterity Izzy possessed to work with my unwieldy history of guitar playing was impressive. They were patient and flexible— resulting in improvement in mere weeks. I recommend them endlessly. They are a joy to be around and learn with. "

    —Former Student

Let’s Work Together

If you're interested in working together, complete the form or contact me directly.