I am a self taught musician and proud of it!  I have never taken formal lessons, and I have often had people ask me "then how do you know what to teach?" 

 

My answer is always that the process of figuring things out on my own has given me a deeper understanding of the elements of music.  I have been able to really get inside music, and this experience is not unique to me; it is shared by many who have taught themselves.  Because I never had anyone telling me the "right" or "wrong" way to play I was able to keep my freedom.  

 

I learned by jamming, and was able to always keep my curiosity and excitement about music.  I wanted to  learn!  It was never a chore.  Maybe it would be more accurate to say that music was my teacher.

 

I also consider myself a student of teaching.  I think teaching is an art in itself and should be respected as such.  Just because you are great at a given skill doesn't mean you will be a great teacher.  

 

I have over a decade of experience teaching students of all ages.  In addition to music, I am also a professional actor, holding a diploma in acting from Rosebud School of the Arts.  I have taught drama in schools, with Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Meraki Theatre, Rainbow Stage, and with the Manitoba Youth Drama Festival.  I also run Theatre Unlabeled, an acting school in Winnipeg. 

 

I am also a songwriter and recording artist.  I have recorded both solo albums as well as an album with my wife as "The Lazy Sundays."  I have extensive performance experience, having played on stages, in living rooms, and in noisy dining rooms as a dinner musician.  I have sung in choirs and performed on stage in musicals.  

 

All this experience has given me a unique perspective on teaching.  I consider myself an "apostle of play" and believe that my mission is to nurture the artist in every student.