Songlife Philosophy
A few of my ideas …
I aim to get students to make discernible music immediately, whether it be a very basic strumming pattern or short melody, as I firmly believe that sound motivates before technique or theory. We, the learner and I, set small goals and work with a brick by brick mentality in order to build a strong musical foundation. I will focus on your needs and goals entirely to help you build or further an existing structure that suits you or your child. For this, we will focus on one thing at a time, as it gets us to our goals quicker, with an initial focus on the doing by learning songs/pieces by heart.
I see Music as a train that is in constant motion, you need to board that train and together with my students we will discover exactly how you can find your entry point to join the journey. The atmosphere and environment play a huge part in learning music until at some point, your music will create the atmosphere. Together with my students, I create small processes that are easy to understand and execute, as we are slowly learning to trust the process that leads us to results. Consistency is an attitude that we aim to develop as something that comes naturally, through keeping lessons relaxed, yet motivating. Remaining flexible is of utmost importance in my lessons, as it is my highest priority to support my students with positive regard.
In teaching children, my ideas lean towards the philosophy of the Montessori Pedagogy, which states that „every child has musical potential and all children are able to learn and express themselves musically“. The Montessori approach to music is based on the understanding of children learning through their experiences and senses first, before all else. If, and I wholeheartedly agree with this belief, the ear, eye, voice, hand, body, and soul of a child is engaged at once, the child, with their entire being, is actively involved in the entire musical experience.
I aim to teach guitar players to be able to teach themselves eventually, because that is how music can accompany them for a lifetime. My goal is for you or your child to find and play music that motivates you or them and to strengthen the idea that playing/creating music enriches your life.
Lesson formats
Music Impulse
For young kids ages 5 to 8
Music Impulse
For young kids ages 5 to 8
The main aim of this course is to spend constructive musical time with young children. This course aims to warm them up to organised sound, and activate their motor skills and cognitive engagement.
Initially, young children have a very physical reaction to music, while theory and organised performance of music are abstract concepts to them. In most cases young children, between the ages of 5 and 8, who show an interest in music or even musical talent (or tendencies of such) are not necessarily ready to start with an instrument. So before parents invest in an instrument, I make different instruments, including percussion instruments, available in these lessons, to help them warm up to the environment of being in a lesson and getting their musical impulses flowing. I set very small, achievable goals to find out how to motivate them and simultaneously learn how best to teach them, and eventually implement constructive learning inputs that match their capabilities.
Absolute Beginners kids
For children age 8 and older
Absolute Beginners kids
For children age 8 and older
In this course we aim on building a strong foundation in “guitar accompaniment“. For beginners this age, we put a main focus on rhythm and harmony (chords) and melody, using the vast repertoire of modern or vintage popular music genres and songs. Depending on the pace of development, we will also touch on arpeggios and other skills that are rewarding for budding acoustic guitar players.
Absolute beginners
For adults, all ages
Absolute beginners
For adults, all ages
This format is especially designed to meet the needs of those adults, who have dreamt of playing the guitar for a long time and who are ready to take the first step. Your age does not matter, it is never too late to get started.
In a most relaxed fashion, we aim to get you strumming or fingerpicking as soon as possible. With carefully curated learning material that interests and motivates you, I will also create practice plans which suit your adult lifestyle – not too time consuming or mind boggling, but just what you need in order to achieve what you aspire to on the guitar.
Intermediate acoustic accompaniment
Exploring the vast amount of styles one can play on the acoustic guitar. All ages.
Intermediate acoustic accompaniment
Exploring the vast amount of styles one can play on the acoustic guitar. All ages.
The content of this course is solely dependent on what you are already capable of and what you desire to play and learn.
Beginners electric
All ages.
Beginners electric
All ages.
Here we get rocking and dive into classic riffs that get the blood pumping.
Initially, we will learn the same fundamentals as on the acoustic guitar, but soon afterwards we branch into music that is intrinsic to the electric guitar. Whether it be rock, jazz or pop, blues or African styles of playing, we aim to get you to the sound you want with a systematic process made up of specific well known songs and riffs that equip you with skills to further develop.
Intermediate electric
All ages.
Intermediate electric
All ages.
Intermediate students set the tone of learning here. They mostly have an idea of what they like to play and I aim to support their individual development through the learning of specific songs and riffs.