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I learned guitar back in 1975,
A broken piece of wood that was “gifted” to me.

I was a lonely kid, daughter of a single mom, the only known broken family in my hometown.

My guitar teacher never talked music theory, he just had me play.
Some of the first songs I learned: Delta Dawn, Diamonds & Rust & The Blues Are Just A Bad Dream…

After each lesson, I’d run home and practice, even calling my few friends and asking them to identify the song I was playing.

I spent my alone time practicing; this was the time before the internet, before cable tv, a time long before cell phones.

I played and played ~ got onto the Lounge Circuit and travelled up and down the east coast for years.

It’s a very lonely existence, driving hundreds of miles to set up in a lounge and try to get customers to spend their money.

Came a time when I thought to myself that I should find a “real’ job.
Went back to college and got my degree and left my guitar to gather dust.

I found my guitar again many years, dedicated myself to relearning what I once knew.

A friend suggested that while I was job-hunting, that I should teach guitar.
All I could think was, that if anyone knew how little I knew, I’d be laughed out of the building.

I couldn’t find a good guitar teacher & was broke, so I went on a Google quest to learn.

I practiced, studied, practiced and played while I was job hunting.

I had a terrible experience while in Dubai – was hired by a school to manage it, and also teach.
One day the people from The Suzuki School of Music came in to audition me, I played, taught and then fell apart
when they handed me sheet music to sight read.I played the piece and then apologized because I knew how badly I had butchered it.

Back in the states, I auditioned for a local music store to teach, passed the playing, the singing and again failed at sight-reading.
The guy told me that I should teach voice instead of guitar.

I felt like a failure, especially when around other “trained” musicians.

But I had something, the ability to teach those.

So, I studied, a lot!

People who want to play the guitar, typically don’t give a hoot about theory, they just want to play. And that I can teach!

I can say at this time, that I can teach music theory to beginners/intermediate and if someone wants more and I can’t provide it,
then I suggest another teacher.

I’m a singer/songwriter/picker/percussive guitarist. Blessed, or perhaps cursed with a “big” voice.

I don’t “force” my students to learn theory, Instead I find out what they want to learn and teach that.

I always say, “You don’t need to understand, as much as you need to feel it.”

I hope to share what I have learned. I hope that you do also.

Be Happy, make Music!