Q: How long have you been playing guitar? 
A:  I've been playing guitar for approximately ten years. 

Q: How did you first get interested in guitar? 
A:  I was always into music, and all the music you hear, the popular stuff is guitar music.  I was really into that.  And actually, I started playing bass, when I was a wee sixth grader.  And I felt limited on that and I went over to guitar and I played that for a really long time from sixth, seventh, eighth... and then I went to college and the only way we could take guitar lessons was to take classical lessons.  that's actually where I took my first real guitar lesson. 

Q: What do you think beginner guitarists should focus on learning first? 
A:  A beginner guitarist should really focus on...really listening to what they're playing, and trying to make it sound as good as it possibly can.  If it's just a simple song with just 3 notes, make sure you play those 3 notes as best as you possibly can.  Be accurate to rhythm and time and making sure you're not sloppy and that everything is really precise because those habits as you get older, will really really pay off as you start to play more difficult music. 

Q: What was the hardest thing you encountered when learning to play guitar? 
A:  Learning how to read music, and probably, my parents.  Since many older people don't consider the guitar a legit instrument, and it most certainly is.  And, finding time to practice.  And all that stuff about your fingers hurting, that all goes away within a month.  Another hard thing about playing guitar, is that after you start playing guitar for a while, in the beginning, the learning curve is really, you know, pretty easy, you start to get really good really fast, and then you level off.  You get to this part where you don't feel your getting any better.  And it takes a lot of work to get, like, that little push better. And that's when you find it hard to practice because you don't feel your getting better even though you are.  

Q:  What do you feel is the most difficult aspect of teaching Guitar? 
A:  Probably gauging a place to start with a student.  Figuring out where their level is and really understanding where they want to go as a musician. 

Q: Why do you feel it is important that a guitar player learn to read music? 
A:  Well, why is it important for a lawyer to speak english?  It's a pretty obvious answer.  I mean how can you work in a field if you don't know the language?  If you took all of the music in the world, it would stack up 600 miles, if you don't read music, you know how much of it you can read?  None of it!  So why would you want to limit yourself from all the good music in the world?  It's the language that you speak, you should be able to write it down. 

Q: Have any of your students moved on to a career in music? 
A:  A lot of my student, well actually one of my students, is actually going to NYU(New York University) for a degree in music technology.  And part of the reason he got accepted was because of his guitar playing.  You know, his knowledge of reading and stuff.  And I have a lot of students who do talent shows and do all sorts of things.  And I don't know if it's just a career, but it's always something that they have in their life.  But most of my students are under 20, so ask me that question in about 15 years, and we'll see.  

Q: What are some pros and cons of classical, acoustic, and electric guitars? 
A:  Classical:  Well first of all, there are no cons of any instrument, there's no bad point.  Classical develops both the right and the left hands equally.  There's a lot of technique in the right hand that nobody else gets to play unless your a classical artist, and these techniques are also used a lot in a lot of folk and a lot of other different types of music.  Classical guitar really makes one dependent on being able to read music, and read music well.  And second of all, a classical guitarist really not need anyone else to play because classical guitar is like a mini orchestra that you can carry around.  You can play polyphony which is music which has a lot going on, bass lines and middle parts and melody lines all at once.  Acoustic:  Well acoustic guitar, if you're thinking like, folk, it's just pretty much used to accompany a vocalist.  So, as far as guitar is concerned, it is a great instrument, but is usually an accompaniment instrument.  Electric:  Electric is usually used in conjunction with other instruments.  Although it is probably the easiest to play, in terms of string tension, and movablility, and its also probably the most developed over the last 20 years. 
 

Q: Are there any ever medical conditions as a result of playing guitar? 
A:  Yes, carpal tunnel.  You have to watch, some classical players play with their right hand at a right angle to the guitar and a lot of players do this.  You never want to do this.  And playing like that, it will give you carpal tunnel.  You will lose the ability to move your fingers.  Other than that?  Hardness of hearing from playing at blistering volumes, i've seen that(laughs).