Getting there: Sam's location on Broadway is fairly easy to get to by T, walking distance from my apartment, or by car (he has guest parking permits).The space: Sam's pad-cum-studio is a reflection of his personality. Fanciful, eclectic, colorful, and bovine...I don't want to ruin the experience, but I suggest you suspend all disbelief before entering his domain. Oh, and ask him about "the cow." Enjoying surrealism will help you enjoy the space.
The instruction: I've been a student of Sam's for 7 months now, and it has been going very well. Sam and I discuss where I want to focus my learning effort on, and he tailors our time together to help me achieve my goals. In addition to being an excellent guitarist, he can comfortably teach important musical theories, helping me move from "sort of guitar player" to "guitarist" and "musician."Sam's style: Sam is really friendly and easy to get along with. Given the nature of a one-on-one teacher-student relationship, this is critical. Though he can definitely be, "fanciful, eclectic, colorful, and bovine," he takes his music very seriously. His style naturally puts you at ease, and makes you feel comfortable with trying some new or difficult concept. Sam is a great teacher, no doubt.
Logistics: Sam will schedule lessons any day of the week, from roughly 9AM to 9PM. Lessons are $50/hr. with a discount if you book 10 lessons at a time.
So why 4 stars, and not 5? There are two reasons:
1. I've only been a student for 4 months. In time I might revise my rating - you can rate a restaurant on Yelp having been once, but I feel like this is different.
2. $50 per lesson is a little more than other instructors in the area. However, I believe that in this case you get what you pay for.
If you're looking for a great guitar instructor, I recommend you talk to Sam and schedule a lesson.
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