The Student Experience

 
 
I was fortunate enough to take guitar, and ultimately guitar and vocal lessons, from Evan both in person and in virtual form. I can’t say enough about Evan and the experience. Evan is tremendously knowledgeable about music, both the theory and the practice, and he has a true gift in his ability to teach. He is creative and inspiring in his approach to lessons. He pushes you to improve and, where appropriate, to move beyond your comfort zone. He does this in only the most encouraging and kind manner and is a partner in your journey to improve. It truly feels that he is invested in your musical goals.
— Brendan
After taking several lessons with Evan I feel excited about playing guitar all over again. Evan is tailoring the lessons to what I want to learn and improve and the music I want to play. He’s very encouraging and positive, even when I’m feeling frustrated or embarrassed about my own mistakes or weak spots. I’m recommending lessons with Evan to anyone I know who wants to learn to play as a beginner or up their game from wherever they’re at!
— Brad
Evan’s a really positive, engaging person — there’s a laidback feel to the lesson, and yet at the same time he’s making sure you cover a lot of ground so you have plenty to work on all week. He pays a lot of attention to what your goals are and tailors the lessons to hone in on those things. If you’re really struggling with something (*cough* F barre chords *cough*), he’s very patient and creative about helping you troubleshoot it and figure out new ways to work through it, even if it takes weeks. If you’re looking for an online guitar teacher, he’s your guy!
— Susan
As someone who’s tried learning a few instruments throughout my life only to be frustrated at the pace of my learning and give up on all of them, I went into my ukulele lessons with Evan having pretty low expectations for everyone. Music doesn’t come easily to me and I don’t feel like I have much time anymore for things I’ll just be terrible at for a while. But Evan’s not just a great teacher, he’s an awesome cheerleader. He seems to have a psychic ability for setting goals that will be both attainable and gratifying to you personally, and his positivity is catching. Even just by my second lesson, I was feeling excited by how much I’d learned — I could play a song already? Practicing has stopped feeling like something I have to guilt myself into, and has become something fun; that alone has been worth the investment ten times over.
— Adrianne
I have been playing the guitar for the past 15 years, and I have taken lessons from a number of different teachers throughout that time. I can say without hyperbole that Evan is the greatest guitar teacher I have ever had. He designs exceptionally personalized lessons that build off of everything I wanted to learn and the goals we set together. He is kind, responsive, encouraging, and patient, and he takes great care to design lessons that are meaningful, balanced, and fun. He also sends these amazing lesson notes after each class that are almost like having another class - they are full of in depth explanations of the music theory we talked about, sheet music that he has created himself for the songs we are learning, and additional resources that I didn’t even know I needed. I am playing the guitar in ways that I never thought I could, and I always look forward to the new things I know I will learn in class. I really can’t recommend him strongly enough.
— Lucy
I’ve messed around with fake books but never took real ukulele lessons. Inspired by friends who are making the best of this pandemic, and who recommended Evan so highly, I’m now six weeks in and really enjoying the process of learning music in a relaxed and totally professional atmosphere. I was such a Zoom-doubter but Evan makes it really work! He is a natural teacher, a consummate musician, and enjoyable person I look forward to seeing each week. The lesson notes that he sends immediately after every session keep me going, remind me of important points, and break down how to practice. Lessons with Evan will make you a better musician and you’ll enjoy the process of getting there!
— Laura